Sunrise
by IronHeartWriter
Summary: When buildings are mysteriously burning down in Gotham, an old enemy returns, and an undercover attempt at stopping him, could turn dangerous. Sequel to A New Dawn
1. Birthday?

AN: Hey guys

**AN: Hey guys! Ugh, another Monday…. On the happy side, NEW STORY! Woo-hoo! Another random fact; I HATE starting new stories; first chapters are icky for me… So I now bring you to the second part of Zoey and Bruce's story. For your enjoyment, I give you Sunrise.**

Chapter 1

_The alarms were ringing in her ears as she bolted through the seemingly endless hallways. She was tossed a few feet as the room behind her blew up._

'_Holy shit,' Zoey Smith thought as she rose to her feet and as the flames continued to chase her. She ran through a door and fell right into a pool of water. 'Where the fuck am I?'_

_The fire continued to chase her straight through the water._

'_God, oh mighty.' Zoey began swimming as fast as she could, her long black and crimson hair flowing after her. The flames were getting closer and closer to her body—_

"Oof!" Zoey fell right out of the bed and landed on the white marble floor of Bruce Wayne's bedroom. Her heart was racing and her breath was coming in and out in painful bursts. It took her several seconds to realize what in the world had happened. Bruce's sleepy face appeared over the edge of the bed as her heart rate began to slow down.

"You had the dream again?" Bruce inquired, his voice tinged with the deep sleep that he had been in. His hair was tousled and his eyes weren't _quite_ focused.

Zoey nodded, trying to untangle herself from the bed sheets. Her skin was burning as it often did. She hated the heat that burned within her body with a passion. Zoey had been raised for seventeen years by a demon after her parents were killed in a car crash. The demon had forced her to drink a serum that had given her the abilities to melt anything with the touch of her hands, to become invisible, and to also become insolid.

"I'm so sick of that goddamn fire dream," Zoey mumbled, walking into the bathroom and splashing some ice water over her face.

"Maybe it means something," Bruce mused, lying back down on his bed. The clock read 8:27 AM; _it's still too early…._

"I _highly_ doubt it," Zoey said as she toweled off her face. "You _know_ I don't believe in that stuff."

"Maybe you should."

Zoey returned to Bruce's large bed and lay down next to him. She snuggled closer to him as smiled as he put his arm around her. Zoey had lived at Wayne Manor since she'd met Bruce about six months earlier. When she'd first met him, she'd warned him about being close with her and that it wouldn't be a good idea, but six months later, she couldn't stand being far away from him for long. But there was something else that held them together; while Bruce fought crime in Gotham City as Batman, Zoey had joined him as Phoenix. She'd spent most of the seventeen years under Triton training to be a killer, but until she killed Triton, she never _really_ killed anyone, but she didn't save them either.

"Did Gordon tell you anything new last night?"

Bruce shook his head, "The fires are getting more and more mysterious, but all of them are arson as far as GCFD has been able to tell."

Zoey shook her head, "People are dying. We have to figure something out. We _have to _do it tonight."

"But tonight's the _only_ night that you have off every week."

"Like I give a damn," Zoey rolled her eyes. "There are more important things than a night off from work."

"Zoey, what's the date?"

"January 23rd, why?"

"Happy birthday."

Zoey sat up, her chocolate brown eyes with their raspberry red zigzags narrowed, "What did you say?"

"First, I was going to ask me why you didn't tell me your birthday was today," Bruce said, sitting up as well. "But did you seriously not know that your birthday was today?"

"Demons don't celebrate _birth_days," Zoey said. "They celebrate _death_days. I guess I haven't celebrated my birthday in so long that I forgot about it. But how did you find out my birthday?"

"Old Gotham City records," Bruce responded. "Lucius Fox passed them over my desk a few days ago, and I was waiting to see if you were going to say anything to me, but—"

"Kinda hard to tell you about something that even _I_ don't remember," Zoey said reasonably. "Anyways, the last time I actually _did_ celebrate my birthday was when I was eight. I don't remember any of it; it's not really a big deal to me."

"So you don't want to do _anything_ for it?"

Zoey shrugged, "What's there to do? I do anything I want all day, every day anyways."

Bruce sighed somewhat. It was hard for him to sometimes understand Zoey. Even after six months, she still didn't live like a normal human, and she still didn't always understand the difference between demon life and human life. She was still trying to get back into the groove of normal life, but trying to undo seventeen years of Triton telling her to be a certain way was proving to be a _very_ slow process; but it wasn't a hopeless one.

"So you want to go check around the city for danger tonight?" Bruce asked at last.

"Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you," Bruce responded, caressing Zoey's left cheek with the back of his right hand. "I'm just worried about you."

"Because I'm not like everyone else?" Zoey inquired, pulling away from his touch slightly.

"I can't expect you to be," Bruce said. "And I know that, and you know that I don't. I'm just trying to help you bring some normalcy back into your life."

"Bruce, my life is never going to be _normal_," Zoey said. "We both know _that_ too. Look, if it means that much to _you_, then we can do something for my birthday, but to be honest, it _won't_ affect the rest of my life if we don't. Right now, catching whoever is responsible for all those innocent people's deaths needs to be a priority. My birthday will come again next year anyways; for some people, they might not make it past tonight if we don't do something."

Bruce sighed again, "Okay, Zoey. I'm sorry for making you so—"

"You didn't make me anything," Zoey cut him off. She leaned closer to him and kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you."


	2. Questions

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The air around Wayne Manor seemed very tense throughout the day. Zoey just kept to herself, not desiring another argument with Bruce, she settled herself on the roof of Wayne Manor with her black Macbook and was replaying her Linkin Park playlist. It was a chilly January day, but Zoey didn't really feel the cold, her skin was too warm anyway. The sky seemed to be mirroring her mood; dark and cloudy.

"Excuse me, Miss Smith," A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. Zoey turned around and smiled when she saw Alfred walking towards her with a cup of hot cocoa. "Can I get you anything else?"

"A new life?" Zoey suggested, gratefully accepting the cup of hot cocoa.

Alfred smiled back, "I'm sorry, Miss Smith, but I don't know where to get you one of those. How about a hammer?"

"A hammer?" Zoey inquired. "What in the hell do I need a hammer for?"

"To bang Master Wayne over the head with for annoying you on your birthday."

Zoey laughed, "Thanks, Alfred, but I have better methods for dealing with _him_."

"Always happy to help attempt at cheering you up, Miss Smith," Alfred said, inclining his head slightly. Alfred left her, and Zoey giggled to herself. She loved Alfred and his wit; just another perk of living in Bruce Wayne's house….

When Zoey's stomach started growling a little while later, she went down to the kitchen and found it empty. She laughed when she found a cake sitting on the counter with her name on it. Right next to the cake was a small box with a ribbon on it.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Bruce's voice from behind her startled her slightly.

Zoey smiled and turned around, "I wasn't offended; just a little hurt." She indicated the small box, "What is this?"

"Your first birthday present in seventeen years," Bruce responded.

"You _really_ didn't have to."

"I know I didn't," Bruce said, walking closer to her and kissing her gently on the lips, "I wanted to."

Zoey opened the box and her eyes glittered. Inside, nestled on top of velvet, was a white gold link bracelet. All along the bracelet, there were ruby birds and onyx bats.

"Phoenixes," Zoey mused, her smile growing. She hugged Bruce tightly, "Thank you so much, Bruce."

"My pleasure, Zoey," Bruce responded. "Here, let me put it on you."

Bruce took the bracelet and clasped it around Zoey's slim wrist. She shook her wrist and the charms clinked together. She pulled Bruce closer to her warm body and kissed him passionately. Their kiss deepened rapidly, and Zoey could feel not only the heat from her body, but the heat from Bruce's body. She couldn't help but moan slightly as their tongues dueled. Bruce pushed Zoey against the counter slightly, his hands on her hips—

There was a small cough, and just like that, all the magic was gone. Bruce turned around, and Zoey looked over his shoulder. Alfred was standing in the doorway looking slightly embarrassed.

"Master Wayne," Alfred said. "The Bat-Signal…."

Bruce nodded, "It's fine." He turned to Zoey, whose face was glowing slightly out of embarrassment, "You ready to go to work?"

Two minutes later, Bruce and Zoey were both down in the cave below Wayne Manor. Lucius Fox, who had designed Bruce's armor, had designed a set for Zoey. It was very much the same, just designed for a woman, and it was red and black instead of just pitch black. She had a red and black cape made out of memory cloth as well as gauntlets that were identical to Bruce's. The only major difference between them was that she word a mask instead of a cowl

They both jumped into the Tumbler and Bruce sped off. They were in the heart of the city five minutes later, on top of the building where the new Bat-Signal was located. Commissioner Jim Gordon was waiting for both of them.

"Nice to see you brought her," Gordon commented when he saw Phoenix.

"Kinda hard to keep her away," Batman growled. "_What_ is going on with all of the fires?"

"A _friend_ of yours has been seen in town," Gordon said, ignoring Bruce's question.

"What _friend?_"

"The one who tried to poison Gotham's water supply."

Both Batman and Phoenix exchanged looks.

"You _aren't_ talking about Jonathan Crane, are you?" Phoenix asked, though she was well aware of what the answer would be.

"We're not so lucky," Gordon responded. "Crane's still locked up."

"It's not possible that you're seeing who you think you are," Batman growled at last. "He was killed when the train was destroyed."

"Tell that to the one walking around town," Gordon said. "Are you going to look in to it?"

Batman vanished without answering, leaving Phoenix alone with Gordon. Phoenix sighed deeply before talking.

"Gordon, call me an optimist, but is there _any_ way you could be mistaken about who your men have been seeing?"

"There's always a chance," Gordon said. "But not a very big one in this case."

"And they haven't been able to catch him if it really is him?"

Gordon shook his head, "Every time my men have tried, he's vanished before their eyes."

"Great," Phoenix groaned. "Just great."

An hour later, Zoey actually had to search Wayne Manor for Bruce. She knew that if what Gordon had said proved to be true, there was a big storm coming for both her and Bruce. After searching the entire house _and_ the caves, Zoey sat down on the marble steps.

"Bruce!" She called her voice echoing slightly. "Bruce, running from _me_ won't help you! We need to work together if we're going to defeat Ra's Al Ghul!"

As if he had heard her, Bruce appeared on the floor above her, his eyes avoiding hers' and his voice hollow, "I thought I defeated him once. Now that I _know_ I haven't, I doubt that even the two of us working together can."

Zoey climbed the steps two at a time and stood beside him, "Bruce, that's not true. You _don't_ know that."

"Don't I?" Bruce inquired. "Zoey, you're strong, but have you ever fought against Ra's Al Ghul by yourself during the months that you trained with him?"

"Of course I have," Zoey responded. "Ra's trained me _himself_ under Triton's request. Those months were hell on my muscles…."

"He burnt down my parent's house; he tried to destroy me after I saved his life—"

"I _know_, Bruce," Zoey said, forcing him to look at her by putting her hand on the side of his face. "I know _all_ of that. But you can't let this turn into a quest for vengeance or it _will_ destroy you. I'll tell you right now, if it destroys you, then I'm going down with you."

Bruce's smile was somewhat forced, but it was a smile to Zoey, nonetheless, "I won't let it destroy me, Zoey, but do you have a plan?"

"I sure as hell do, follow me."


	3. Immortal

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bruce followed Zoey into the room he'd given her when she'd first moved in. Zoey used the room only to keep her clothes in as she slept in Bruce's bed most nights; Hey, she liked to cuddle, was there anything wrong with that? The room was large and spacious, but the second she entered it, she began digging through a drawer that she'd declared her junk drawer. Bruce sat down on her bed, a questioning look on his face.

"What are you excavating for?"

"These," Zoey responded at last. She extracted a small wooden box from the drawer and somehow slammed the drawer shut. Bruce smiled, that drawer reminded him of Zoey in some ways; messy at times but full of memorable things. Zoey sat beside Bruce on the bed and opened the box. Inside were two silver rings.

"Doesn't the guy usually propose to the girl?" Bruce inquired, a smirk on his face.

"Bruce," Zoey rolled her eyes. "_Concentrate_."

Zoey took one of the rings and slid it onto the middle finger of her right hand. She squeezed her fingers together. Bruce both felt and heard the loud shrieking sound that came from the rings.

"What the fuck was that?" Bruce inquired; his ears still ringing moments after Zoey slid the ring off of her finger.

"_That_ was how you are going to contact me if you need me," Zoey responded, handing the ring to Bruce. "_This_ one," She said as she held up the second ring, "vibrates when that one shrieks."

"Wait a second," Bruce said. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To help save Gotham," Zoey responded. "Ra's for sure still thinks I'm on Triton's side. He'll accept me gratefully as a minion and I'll be able to get information to both you _and_ Gordon to help stop him."

"No way," Bruce responded instantly. "It's _way_ too dangerous for you to do."

"I don't really give a damn," Zoey responded. "Bruce, you _really_ don't understand. I still need to prove to _myself_ that I'm not going back to how I was."

"There are other ways to do that," Bruce said. He was serious as hell; usually a point when Zoey would back down from their arguments, but not now.

"For you, maybe," Zoey said, standing up and turning her back to him. "But for me, I'm not so sure. Bruce… please don't make this—"

"Don't make it what, Zoey?" Bruce demanded. "Don't make this seem more dangerous than it really is? Zoey, it's a goddamn suicide mission! You're _going_ to get yourself killed if you get found out. No, scratch that, Ra's will do worse to you than kill you. He'll torture you, and _then_ kill you."

"I'm glad you have such faith in me," Zoey's voice cracked slightly. She felt the first hot tear slide down her cheek. As her hand rose to wipe it away, Bruce beat her to it. He wiped away her tear with his thumb and turned her around.

"I _do_ have faith in you, Zoeynyx," Bruce whispered the nickname that he had given her a few days earlier. "I just don't want to have to be going around picking up the pieces of your body."

"That's not going to happen," Zoey growled. "Even if Ra's tried, I _still_ have my abilities to get myself the hell out of there."

Bruce could see it clearly in Zoey's eyes, that no matter what he said to her, she was going to go after Ra's. There was nothing at all that he could possibly say to her that would make her think twice about going.

"Fine," Bruce relented. "If you're so goddamn sure that _this_ is what you want to do, I'll be waiting. But our rings won't help us communicate; just know whenever one of us needs the other.

"I have another solution for _that_," Zoey grinned. "I have two communication typing devices so we can type messages back and forth. Me and my demon pals used to use them on missions."

"You really have this all planned out, huh?"

"Down to the last possible flaw," Zoey agreed, leaning her weight on Bruce slightly.

Bruce kissed her forehead, "You know I'm not going to let you go longer than two hours without contacting me, right?"

"I was hoping you'd say that," Zoey stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. It was she that was nipping at his bottom lip this time, desiring deeper contact. Bruce granted it to her, but not before pushing her onto the bed, him on top of her smaller form.

When they broke apart, they were both breathing deeply.

"Bruce," Zoey whispered, her heart going at about two hundred BPM. "I need you. I need to feel you to know that you're going to be with me while I'm in the hell hole."

Bruce kissed her neck, "Are you sure?"

Zoey nodded against him, "Please."

The hours went by all too quickly for Bruce's liking. He fell asleep holding Zoey after making what he wanted to be endless love to her. He was honestly scared for her; he didn't know what exactly she was getting herself into, but he knew that if she slipped up, it could cost her everything, including her life. When Bruce woke up, a few of his joints popped like they always did, Zoey wasn't in bed. Immediately his senses went crazy.

_She couldn't have left already_, Bruce thought anxiously. But as he sat up, Zoey walked out of the closet. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw her. She was dressed head to foot in black leather. Her long hair was stick straight down her back, and her eyes were….

"Red?" Bruce inquired.

"Contacts," Zoey responded. "I'm trying to blend in, remember? Here."

She tossed a small device over to him on the bed. It looked not unlike a blackberry curve.

"It's a communicator messenger," Zoey said before he could ask. "It's two-way, so only you and I will be communicating with each other."

Bruce nodded, "Zoey, you're _sure_ about this?"

Zoey nodded, "I'm actually kinda excited."

"Do you know where to find him?"

Again Zoey nodded, "There's only one place that scum like him would hang out without getting caught."

She slid the gauntlets she used as Phoenix onto her forearms and walked over to Bruce, kissing him gently on the lips, "I'll be in contact in two hours."

And just like that, Zoey was gone. But she didn't stay that way for long. She made her way down to the oldest and mustiest of Gotham's slums. There was an old hole in the wall bar that was actually still open. Zoey knew it to be the one where most of Gotham's crime bosses hung out. She was happy to see that she wasn't wrong in thinking Ra's would be there. The second she entered the bar, she was patted down for weapons (luckily the scallops of the gauntlets were retractable). And at last, standing right before her, was the one who had trained her all those years ago, Ra's Al Ghul.

Zoey had to admit; he _looked_ much more battle worn than the last time she'd seen him. He'd definitely been aged by his last encounter with Batman, but Zoey knew better than to think that the fire within Ra's body had burned out.

"Well," His eyes widened slightly with interest as Zoey inclined her head to him. "Look who came by to say hello."

Zoey looked into Ra's eyes fearlessly, "I heard whispers of you being back in Gotham. Why have you returned when Batman believes you to be dead?"

"You should know, Phoenix," Ra's said, motioning for her to sit down. "I never give up a conquest."

"You're risking your life again, Ra's," Zoey whispered as she sat down.

"Ah," Ra's smirked as he drank from a glass of red wine. "But _isn't_ the Great Ra's Al Ghul immortal?"

"Many people would now believe that you are," Zoey reasoned.

"Phoenix, I am pleased to see that you have come to meet with me," Ra's said. "You were an amazing student of mine, second only to Bruce Wayne."

Zoey felt a knot form in her stomach as Ra's continued, "Strangely enough, you're both from Gotham City."

"Different classes, different lives," Zoey responded.

"I want you to help me lead my men, Phoenix," Ra's said. "I _refuse_ to let there be any more mistakes."

"I wish to help you in any way possible, Ra's," Zoey smiled, inclining her head once more. "Where do we begin?"

**AN: Yes, I know, I was going to write a REAL love scene between Bruce and Zoey, but I couldn't stomach it tonight. I'll make up for it, I promise! Keep the reviews coming!**


	4. Struggle

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Bruce could _swear_ he could hear every millisecond passing by while waiting for Zoey's message to come in. He had decided to attempt to do some work, but he wasn't having much progress as he kept looking at the messenger. He absolutely _loathed_ waiting on things. Finally, _finally_, Zoey's message came through.

**Ra's trusts me…. The idiot.**

**There's going to be an attack**

**Tonight, but I'm not sure where**

**Yet. I'll message you when I know**

**The location. Notify Gordon and **

**Make sure he's there. ****MAKE SURE **

**HE KNOWS I'M UNDERCOVER!!**

** Love,**

** Zoeynyx**

Bruce smiled. Zoey had known that he would need a smile, and seeing her use her nickname had given him that smile. Some of the weight that had been on his shoulders rose slightly as he began to type a message back.

**Just be careful, Zoeynyx.**

**Do what you have to so **

**you stay alive. I love you.**

** Bruce**

Zoey felt a strange sense of relief as Bruce's message came through. She wanted so badly to just be with him at that point. But as she heard footsteps approaching, she stuffed the messenger into a concealed pocket in the inside of her left stiletto boot. She whirled around as Ra's approached her with a group of five men.

"These are the men that you will lead through Gotham tonight," Ra's said as if he was talking to a wall as he walked by her. Zoey had to work hard to stop herself from rolling her eyes; she wasn't sure if her contacts would survive that.

"And where is it that I am leading them exactly?" Zoey inquired.

"Gotham City Mall," Ra's responded. "It's time to send the people of Gotham a _real_ message."

Zoey wasn't sure she wanted to know what that message was, but she nodded nonetheless. Hours later, when darkness had fallen, Zoey's heart was pounding painfully while she stood in the middle of the Gotham City Mall's large parking lot. In the distance, the Bat-Signal was visible in the sky.

"Batman's here," The nearest one of Ra's men growled.

"Batman could be _anywhere_ in the city," Zoey snarled back as she became invisible. "We have a goddamn mission to do. You two, get on the roof, the two of _you_ get down to the basement, and _you_," She barked at the remaining one. "You're with me through the main floors."

The men dispersed and Zoey felt a chill pass through her body. She looked around, and saw Batman lurking on a high branch of a nearby tree. He was staring at the spot where she was standing, but Zoey was unsure whether he had seen her disappear. She looked around; only the sycophant that would be working with her was still around.

"What are you waiting for?" Zoey snapped at him. She shoved him roughly on his back, and as she did so, she let her right hand with the ring on it become visible. She looked back to the tree and Batman inclined his head slightly. They had an understanding between them. When Zoey had sent him a message with the time and location, she'd warned him that they might have to 'fight' each other. But that wasn't really a big deal as long as the rest of the plan went smoothly.

Zoey entered the mall with the sycophant, but was hit with a burst of heat. The mall was not just warm; it was _hot_; too hot for Zoey, who _already_ had a high body temperature. She unwillingly became visible.

"Is something wrong, Phoenix?"

Before Zoey could answer, another voice spoke, "Something's _very_ wrong, for the both of you."

Zoey turned around, unsurprised to see Jim Gordon and a few of his officers behind them.

"On your knees," Gordon commanded. "_Both_ of you."

"Wait," a new voice growled. Batman appeared, leaping over Gordon and his men. "_She's_ mine."

The next thing Zoey felt was considerable pain as she rolled across the waxed floor after Batman's boot came in contact with her ribcage. _Damn_, she'd been expecting a fight, but not that hard….

"What the hell was that for?" Zoey hissed as she used the railing behind her to stand up.

"Effect," Batman hissed back. "What style would you like?"

"_Keysei_ sounds good to me," Zoey smirked.

Batman nodded slightly as screams were heard and gunshots were fired from the floor below. There was obviously a pretty good battle going on down there….

Zoey dodged a hit from Bruce easily, using the railing behind her to flip herself away and kick him in the process. They went on fighting each other for a few minutes, chaos reigning around them, but they were oblivious to it. Until yet another gunshot was sounded. Zoey's eyes widened slightly. She didn't realize it at first. Something warm and gooey was beginning to make a trail between the leather she was wearing and her skin. She reached to her back, and when she pulled her hand away, it was covered with blood. Her eyes widened further as the pain hit her.

"Zoey!"

Blackness engulfed her. Blackness, and confusion together. She had fallen into unconsciousness, and when she felt her consciousness returning, she wasn't sure she wanted it. She knew she wasn't on the floor of the mall anymore; she didn't know where she was for sure. But if Ra's had found out the truth, she might as well commit suicide. Slowly, her eyes opened. She felt the contacts sting slightly as she did so. The world around her tilted dizzyingly. But for a split second, Zoey thought she was going crazy; she was back in Ra's hideout, but when she looked at the ceiling, she could swear she'd been looking up to the eyes and cowl of Batman. When she looked again, he was gone.

_That's not possible_, Zoey thought as she struggled to sit up. She realized that she was not actually lying on anything, but hovering in mid-air. She realized that was very smart actually, it kept her from lying on her injured back….but it was also keeping her immobile.

"Don't get up yet," Ra's voice startled her. He moved out of the darkness into the light, looking morose. "Your fever still hasn't broken."

"I always have a fever," Zoey growled as she was lowered into a sitting position on a metal examining table. Her head was pounding terribly, "How long was I out?"

"Three days," Ra's said. "The bullet got too close to your heart. I almost lost you."

There was something in his voice that made the hairs on Zoey's arms rise, _He almost lost me?_

"From what I hear, you were lucky," Ra's said. "There was a report that you were fighting Bruce Wayne himself. You're lucky that a gun wound was the worst you got."

"I don't give a damn about Bruce Wayne," Zoey snapped. "He may be an _extraordinary_ human, but in the end, that's all he is. But I'm _more_ than a human goddamn it."

"That is so," Ra's said, his hand on Zoey's shoulder. "You're more than human, but still, in the end, a mortal."

Zoey's eyes turned icy, "You insult me, Ra's Al Ghul."

"I do not mean to insult you, Phoenix," Ra's said honestly. "But since I have, I beg for you to forgive me. Your allegiance with me means more than you're aware of right now."

"Why?" Zoey inquired. "Why is it that you give a _damn_ whether or not I'm allied with you?"

"Because your help in Gotham City is invaluable," Ra's said, his hand on Zoey's cheek. Zoey looked away from him, the place where his hand touched burning.

"Leave me," Zoey growled, her jaw clenched.

Ra's nodded and left, thought somewhat reluctantly in Zoey's opinion. Zoey was freaked after he left. She could swear that for a few moments, she herself believed that she was still working for Triton. Everything she'd been saying, doing, acting…. It was all starting to seem real to her.

_Stop that, Zoey,_ She mentally rebuked herself. _That's not who you are anymore._

She reached for her boots that were on the floor by the medical table. The untraceable pocket in her boot proved to be just that as the messenger hadn't been found yet. She removed it and found a message waiting for her.

**That **_**was**_** me on the ceiling.**

**I've been watching you,**

**Waiting for you to get up**

**We need to get you out of**

**There, ASAP.**


	5. Meeting or Makeout?

AN: Some sexual content ahead

**AN: Some sexual content ahead!**

Chapter 5

Zoey felt like laughing. Bruce wanted her to leave after the _only_ thing she accomplished was getting shot? That was _so_ not happening….

**No offense, but I can't just**

**Leave yet. I haven't accomplished**

**Shit! Please understand that I **

**Need more time.**

** Zoeynyx**

Bruce felt like laughing as well when Zoey's message came through. He hadn't really been expecting her to accept the fact that she should probably come home; but hell, it had been worth the shot. He wasn't through with her though. In the three days since she'd been shot, he'd barely slept at all. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her get shot again. He needed to see her; to touch her…. To…

He shook his head, _Calm yourself down, Bruce._ He began to type out another message, this one a request to at least meet him that night. He hoped that she would respond positively.

To his joy, she did. He entered Zoey's nightclub, Flame, at 11 o'clock that night. The club was _packed_ like always. Bruce got a drink at the bar and then made his way out to the back alley. Zoey was standing with her back to him, cleaning off the black and silver Suzuki motorcycle she kept behind the club under a tarp.

"Zoeynyx," The word escaped his lips in a whisper. Zoey turned around slowly, her back hunched over slightly. A smile came to her lips when she saw Bruce. She walked over to him as if in a trance and wrapped her arms around his body in a hug.

"Hey," She whispered, looking up into his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce inquired, wrapping his own strong arms around her waist and embracing her.

"I'm whole, thank god," Zoey responded with a smile. "Come on; let's go upstairs so we can talk."

"Wait," Bruce said, pushing a few strands of her hair out of her eyes. He took her soft lips with his in a slow, yet deep kiss. Zoey moaned in a slightly higher octave as their kiss deepened, and Bruce's hand accidentally brushed along her back. As they broke apart, Bruce gave her an apologetic look.

"One of the reasons I wanted to see you tonight I forgot about," Bruce half-laughed. "I'm sorry; I just got so lost in the kiss—"

"Bruce?" Zoey cut him off.

"Hm?"

"Shut up and come upstairs with me."

Bruce smiled as Zoey took him by the hand and led him back into the club and up the stairs to the loft above the club. Once she closed the door behind them, Zoey began kissing the life out of him. She needed _his_ skin to be against hers' desperately. It seemed that he felt the same way. They rid each other of their clothes and made their way to the large bed, barely breaking their kiss. Bruce was making sure to be gentle, but not _too_ gentle….

Bruce smiled into their kiss and finally broke away. He was on a mission. He began kissing a trail down Zoey's neck, stopping when he felt a knot. He snapped the knot out of her neck with ease, sending a tingling sensation down Zoey's entire body.

"Shit," Zoey whispered. "That knot had been killing me."

"Your mission is taking its toll on your body, Zoeynyx," Bruce said, his right hand teasing Zoey's breasts until they were firm. He smirked, "Getting shot and being unconscious for three days probably wasn't smart either."

"Like I _chose_ for that to happen," Zoey grumbled, her back arching slightly. Bruce's touch on her body was _damn_ near addicting. A chill shot through her body as Bruce kissed her inner thigh and thrust his tongue into her.

The squeak that escaped Zoey's lips made Bruce smirk, _If that's what will happen from that little touch…_

Bruce smirked mischievously and sucked Zoey's clit into his mouth. Zoey was whimpering within seconds, and she came within minutes of his suckling. Bruce went back up to her lips after, the naughtiness not entirely gone from him.

Zoey could taste the zing of herself on Bruce's lips and tongue, _Goddamn mischief maker…._

She hissed as Bruce slid his hardness into her slowly and began to thrust in and out of her. Zoey's nails dug into his shoulder blades, her eyes slightly crossed. Their end came together and left both of them breathless. Hell, they didn't need after words or statements, they just needed each other.

Zoey felt like she could fall asleep in Bruce's arms, but she had to stay awake.

"Bruce," Her voice came out much lower than normal. "I need to get back…."

"I know you do," Bruce said, a sad tone in his voice. "But so soon?"

Zoey nodded regretfully against his shoulder, "I don't want to, but I _have_ to…."

Bruce kissed Zoey's forehead, "Zoeynyx, please be careful."

"I'm _trying_, Bruce," Zoey said. "I _really_ am, but it's hard…. Ra's…. He's attracted to me."

Zoey hated to say it, but she knew it from the way Ra's looked at her and how he acted around her. She saw Bruce's eyes flash angrily, and saw a muscle in his jaw clench tightly. She ran her fingers along his jaw line to force him to release the tension.

"Why are you telling me this?" Bruce asked at last. "Especially now…."

"Because I love you and I want to be honest with you," Zoey responded. "Bruce, you _know_ I would never do _anything_ to hurt you. But I want you to tell me that if _he_ makes a move on _me_ that you won't hold it over _my_ head and break up with me."

Bruce's eyes reflected pain. Zoey couldn't stand it, she just wanted to stay in his arms and not go back to Ra's, but that wasn't an option anymore.

"_If_ Ra's makes a move on you," Bruce said at last. "I will snap his neck, _but_ I will not hold it over you."

Zoey forced a half smile, "I love you, Bruce."

"I love you too, Zoeynyx."

Zoey showered quickly and left the club half an hour later. She hated the thought of leaving Bruce behind, especially on such a sour note, but she _did_ have a responsibility now; one that she wasn't giving up easily.

"Where have you been?"

Zoey controlled her jump reflex when she heard Ra's voice as she moved her motorcycle through the hideout.

"I went to pick up my bike," Zoey motioned over to the Suzuki beside her. "It's less conspicuous than my Range Rover in town."

Ra's inclined his head, "Walk with me, Phoenix, I wish to talk with you."

Zoey nodded and put her helmet down on the seat of her motorcycle. She followed Ra's through the building where various ninja's were training. He led her up a flight of stairs and onto the rooftop. The lights of Gotham were visible in all directions.

"Beautiful," Ra's said musingly. "Isn't it?"

Zoey nodded somewhat stiffly, "Too bad there will be a minimum of five robberies tonight."

"You still share our thinking then, Phoenix?" Ra's inquired.

"That sometimes a city is beyond saving?" Zoey responded. "Yes, in Gotham's case, I do. There's no worse city to live in than—"

The rest of Zoey's sentence never left her, for her lips were caught in a kiss. Ra's had made his move, just like Zoey had predicted he would. Thanking the heavens that she had sensed it coming and spoken to Bruce about it, she allowed herself to relax somewhat, not raising an ounce of suspicion in Ra's until she pulled away from him.

"Why?" Zoey demanded. "Why the hell are you doing this?"

"Because, my dear Phoenix," Ra's said. "You're the one person I believe and have faith in. Because of you, Gotham will fall beneath us."


	6. Temptation

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Zoey felt her own self-hatred rising rapidly. She hadn't cared what Ra's had said about Gotham, she really didn't give a damn. That was the whole point of her being there, to get him to trust her, but _he had kissed her_. Jesus Christ, what kind of girlfriend was she? She didn't deserve Bruce…. She didn't deserve him at all….

From below, Ra's name was called and he excused himself, leaving Zoey alone. Once he was gone, Zoey began sobbing. She didn't know what else to do; the guilt inside of her from a five second event was stabbing at her like a knife. What was worse; she actually wasn't so grossed out by the kiss. It had reminded her of the way Bruce kissed her in all honesty….

Her hand shaking, Zoey reached for the messenger that was hid in her boot. She slowly began typing out a message, her heart pounding all the while.

**Bruce, I was right. Ra's was**

**Going to make a move on me**

**And he finally did. He kissed **

**Me, I'm so sorry….**

Bruce had been half asleep when the message came through. As he read the message, he felt anger surge through his body. He wanted to crush Ra's Al Ghul's throat for thinking that he had any right to touch _his_, Bruce's, Zoey. But as angry as he was, his mind was telling him that Zoey was beating herself up about it.

**Zoey, please don't cry. There**

**Are worse things that can happen**

**Just keep your head up. I already**

**Told you I'm not going to hold **

**Anything over your head. I love**

**You, message me if you need **

**Anything.**

Bruce sent the message and put his head down on his pillow; he could somehow always tell Zoey's moods, even when they were apart. He guessed being around someone like her for six months probably did that. He could sense that she was sad and that she just wanted to be reassured by him. _Oh yeah, these next few days are going to be long ones._

The sunlight burst through the windows, momentarily blinding him. Bruce groaned; had he actually fallen asleep? He blinked a few times before rubbing his face against his pillow.

"_Alfred_, it's eight in the morning," Bruce groaned, rolling over.

"And the meeting you probably forgot about is at nine," Alfred responded.

Bruce turned back over, opening one sleepy eye, "There's a meeting I remembered to forget to remember?"

Alfred's wizened brows rose, "Master Wayne, could you actually spare me the trouble of getting ticked at you this morning and actually get up?"

Bruce looked at Alfred, his own eyebrows rising slightly, "Why so serious, Alfred?"

Alfred shook his head, "Just get up, Master Wayne."

And with that, Alfred left him alone. Bruce rose from his bed, stretching as he did so and causing several joints to pop in the process.

_What the hell was that about?_ Bruce wondered as he went into the shower.

Bruce loathed Wayne Enterprises meetings. Though he owned the company, one would think that he didn't. Lucius Fox was his CEO, and ultimately the brains of the company; he knew more about the company than Bruce could probably ever know, but he was alright with that. Lucius was part of Bruce's trusted entourage, along with Zoey, Alfred, and before her passing, Rachel Dawes.

Bruce felt a twinge of sadness as the thought of Rachel passed through his mind. He missed Rachel; she had been his friend for as long as he could remember, but when he compared her to Zoey, at times, it was hard to figure out who he preferred. Of course, he and Rachel never really worked out as a couple, and in all honesty, Zoey and Rachel were complete polar opposites; Zoey was _all_ about living life in the fast lane, Rachel liked to take things slow. Zoey loved doing crazy things; Rachel was all about doing _safer_ things. And of course, Zoey loved what Bruce did for Gotham; Rachel never really accepted it….

"What do you think, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce was jolted out of his thoughts by Fox's question. Lucius smiled gently at him from down the long table.

"That's what I thought."

Bruce sighed and shook his head as his face flushed slightly; _leave it to Lucius to embarrass the crap out of me…_

After the meeting, Lucius, of course, approached him, "Long night?"

"You have _no_ idea," Bruce sighed.

"How's our _feathered_ friend?"

"Oh," Bruce said. "She got shot working undercover with Ra's Al Ghul and is attracting the shit out of him…."

"Well, you know better than anyone how attractive men can find her," Fox said. "So, you say she got shot?"

Bruce nodded, "Me and her were 'fighting' and she got shot by one of Gordon's _idiots_ from behind. She didn't have your _amazing_ armor on at the time, of course."

Fox's eyebrows rose, "Kissing my ass will get you _no where_, Mr. Wayne."

It was then that the double doors opened and a woman walked in. Bruce had to control his reaction for a split second. The woman was tall, with bleach blond hair and glittering blue eyes.

"Excuse me, Mr. Wayne," The woman said. "But you've got a ton of messages waiting for you."

"And you are?" Bruce inquired.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Fox inquired. "This is Celeste, your new assistant."

"Since when do I have an assistant?" Bruce asked Fox.

"Since you need one," Fox responded. "I'm going to be going to visit my grandchildren next week, and it's time you learn your own company."

Bruce couldn't help but give Celeste the once over with his eyes. A smirk came to his face, and Celeste's eyes glimmered slightly.

"Ahem, Mr. Wayne?" Fox jabbed him in the ribs.

"Hm?" Bruce murmured.

"Remember Zoey?"

"Zoey….?" Bruce realized after a moment what he had said, and immediately felt like an idiot. "Oh, shit."

Downtown, Zoey had been avoiding Ra's at any and all costs. She desperately wanted to go out for some air, but Ra's had stationed her at watching over the training ninjas. Her head was hurting badly, and she had pains in her stomach, never a good sign.

"There she is."

Zoey looked up to see Ra's walking toward her with three men. Her stomach clenched even tighter once she recognized the men; they were demons, and they had once worked for Triton. Ra's eyes glimmered when they rested on Zoey, but she forced herself to look away.

"Were you looking for me?" Zoey inquired, giving Ra's a slight bow.

"I assume you recognize these three," Ra's said, indicating the men.

"Admittedly, I haven't seen them in a while, but essentially, yes I _recognize_ them," Zoey responded, her heart thumping painfully. Had she been found out?

"These men have been looking for Triton over the last months," Ra's explained. "Six months and they've had no luck. Do you have any ideas where Triton may be?"

Zoey sucked air slowly. It was now time to make a choice that could result in either her death, or her exultation…

"It's like you taught me," Zoey said at last. "There's no room on this earth for unjust beings."

Ra's gaze pierced through her, "Triton is dead?"

Zoey nodded hesitantly.

"At your hand?"

Again, Zoey nodded. To her surprise, Triton actually smiled kindly.

"I'm impressed, Phoenix," Ra's admitted. "I may have underestimated you. What caused you to kill him?"

"I did it out of self-defense," Zoey said honestly. "Triton was going to take _my_ life. I had to stop him. I'm not a murderer though…."

"A murderer, no," Ra's said. "But, something greater than a human altogether."

Ra's turned to the demons, "Meet your new leader, gentlemen."

Zoey's eyes widened, "I'm _not_ a leader! And I'm sure as hell not a _demon_ leader! I can barely control my _own_ powers!"

"Humility, is a weakness, Phoenix," Ra's informed her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on her chin. "Phoenix, your abilities can make you a _legend_ if you allow them to."

"What if I _don't_ want them to?" Zoey inquired quietly. The entire charade was getting harder and harder to maintain… _Oh, the temptation… NO! Your name is Zoey, not Phoenix! Concentrate!_

"Phoenix, please," Ra's was actually slightly pleading with her. "Don't let your humanity get in the way of your _true_ destiny…. _Embrace_ who you're obviously meant to be…. A demon goddess."

Zoey couldn't answer. There was a war going on in her head. Bruce had been right, why the hell hadn't she listened to him when he said that she was going to be reminded of her old ways? _Why hadn't she just stayed with him?_

"I need time," Zoey said at last. "I can't make this decision instantly."

Ra's nodded, "Understandable but be advised, every minute you're thinking, Gotham is waiting to be destroyed."


	7. Sand Castles

Chapter 7

**AN: Hey guys, sorry the update comes so late; today was probably one of the worst days I've had in a REALLY long time, so I'm sorry if the update is a little off…ENJOY!**

Chapter 7

Bruce was _bored_; Wayne Enterprises usually was able to keep him entertained as long as Lucius let him hang around the Applied Sciences area, but he wasn't even allowed to that. Everywhere around him, people were trying to get him to actually learn _something_ about the company, but learning three generations worth of information in a day, _was not_ proving to be possible for him. Around midday, he _finally_ managed to escape to the large office that belonged to him for some peace and quiet. It was then that he remembered; Zoey hadn't contacted him in a while….

BAM! The door to his office banged open as he was reaching for the small messenger. Celeste walked in, a slightly apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry, Mr. Wayne," She mumbled, her face beginning to flush. "I opened the door a little _too_ hard…."

"It's fine," Bruce said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Don't even worry about it. What's up?"

"I just wanted to go over your schedule for the next week with you," Celeste said as she pulled out her Palm Treo.

Bruce sighed and leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head. How Celeste somehow knew his company backwards and forwards while he barely knew shit was a mystery to him.

"Everything alright, Mr. Wayne?" Celeste inquired as she scrolled through her files on the Treo with a thin silver stylus.

"I haven't gotten much sleep lately," Bruce responded. "Been worried about my girlfriend."

"Having trouble with her?" Celeste inquired. Bruce looked at her and noticed her blue eyes glimmering slightly as she continued to occupy herself with her Treo.

"No," Bruce responded. "She's just…going through a rough time I guess you could say."

"Ah," Celeste said somewhat musingly. The stylus she'd been tapping away on her Treo with slipped out of her hand. When she bent over to pick it up, she did so in a not-quite-so-modest fashion and gave Bruce a full view of her rear.

_Zoey is GOING to kill me,_ Bruce thought as he tried in vain to avert his eyes.

_This is probably going to kill me_.

Zoey felt like she was walking to her death. She'd come up with an idea that she _hoped_ would help Ra's be distracted long enough to figure out a way to get herself out of the mess she was already very deep into.

"Ra's," She said strongly as she walked up to him. He had been watching two of his ninja's fighting each other. One of them was bleeding quite badly, turning Zoey's stomach horribly. The older man turned to her, a bemused look on his face.

"Yes, my bird of fire?" Ra's said, his eyes twinkling slightly.

"I want you to train me."

Ra's eyebrows rose, "Train you? Haven't I done so already?"

"Years ago," Zoey responded. "I want more training."

Ra's gave her a contemplating look, Zoey felt like she was being X-rayed… "That is what you really want?"

Zoey nodded, looking right back into Ra's piercing gaze. He nodded and motioned for her to follow him.

"Your biggest fear," Ra's said as he began leading Zoey through what seemed like never-ending hallways. "Is it still water?""

Zoey nodded, "Ice water…."

"I thought so," Ra's said. "Tell me again, why do you fear water?"

"Because I can't melt it right away," Zoey responded. "I can heat it up, but it takes a while to evaporate, especially in large quantities….I've seen what water can do to people…."

"Oh, I remember," Ra's said. "You saw someone drown, didn't you?"

Zoey's froze, "Don't…. Please don't…. Don't make me relive that…."

"To be strong you must conquer your fears, Phoenix," Ra's said roughly. "Who did you see drown?"

Zoey looked away from Ra's, "My older sister…."

"What was her name?"

Tears stung the back of Zoey's eyes, "Ra's please…. Don't make me do this…."

"Tell me, now!" Ra's demanded. He kicked Zoey's ribcage and she spun through the air, landing on her left side. Zoey groaned with pain as Ra's stood over her. "Remember, here, you face death. Now, tell me: _What was her name?!_"

The tears trailed out of the corners of Zoey's eyes, "Raina," she whispered at last. "Her name was Raina Smith."

"How did she die?" Ra's demanded.

"I _told_ you," Zoey growled. "She _drowned_."

"You know that's not what I meant!" Ra's snarled. He kicked her again, making her groan once more. "Why did she die?"

The tears were now trailing freely down Zoey's cheeks, "She was trying to save me."

_The memory flooded back to Zoey as she remembered it; she and her sister had gone to the beach with their parents while they were away on vacation. Zoey had been five, while her sister, much older than she, had been 14. Their parents had waited a while before having another child…The day had been beautiful, sunny, not a cloud in the sky…Zoey, like always, had gone straight to building sand castles; she loved building huge castles just for herself. As she was going to the water to fill up a bucket to make the sand wet, three big boys approached her._

'_Leave me alone,' Zoey snarled to the biggest and ugliest. Even as a 5 year-old, she had been fierce; never letting anyone step all over her. But as fierce as she was, deep down, she really was scared by the boys._

'_How about going for a swim, twerp?' The boy snarled back._

_The three boys grabbed her and threw her deep into the ocean. Zoey sputtered to the surface, gasping for air. She didn't know how to swim and the waves were crashing down on her. She remembered feeling the burning salt water flooding down her throat as she tried to scream for help, but only the waves could hear her…. Then she felt them; Raina's 14 year-old arms bringing her back to the surface and safety. As they reached the shore, however, another wave crashed down on them both. Zoey was pushed to the shore, but Raina got caught in the undertow and got pulled back out into the water. By the time the lifeguards got to her, she had drowned._

_Zoey remembered nudging her sister, calling her name, trying to get her to wake up…. She remembered her sister's cold and shriveled skin, as well as her unseeing, misty blue eyes just staring back at her…._

Zoey sobbed as her entire body shook terribly. She couldn't move, she couldn't think, she could barely even breathe. She hadn't confronted that memory in years; Bruce didn't even know that she had an older sister. The _only_ person that had _ever_ known was standing right in front of her, watching her cry like a baby. Zoey didn't want to be comforted, she didn't want anything but for her eternal pain to go away.

She suddenly felt Ra's raise her up, his strong arms around her frail feeling body. She felt like a china doll in his arms at that exact moment, until he began talking….

"Your sister's death was not your fault."

Zoey's eyes glared through their tears; her contacts were beginning to sting like hell, "_Don't you dare say it was her fault, you bastard!_"

"Fine, I won't," Ra's smiled as if he was talking to a three year-old. "Your pain is still deep within you; you must find an outlet for it."

"What outlet?" Zoey hiccupped between the sobs she had been trying to halt.

"Gotham City lies waiting for us," Ra's said. "Tonight, we _must_ begin our destruction of the city."

Zoey nodded slowly, half wishing that Ra's would release her, and half wishing that he wouldn't…. She hated herself in the moment because she _needed_ his touch, or any touch really to just calm down. Before she could say anything though, Ra's kissed her again. His lips were comfortingly warm against her own. Ra's released her and she stood tall, her body against his. She wanted the kiss to end, really she did, but she couldn't end it herself, her mind wouldn't let her. Her heart, on the other hand, was screaming at her until the second they broke apart. Oh, how her heart ached terribly. She was betraying _him_, Bruce, once again….

"Ready yourself, Phoenix," Ra's said, his hand caressing her cheek. "Gotham is waiting."

He walked away from her. As he was walking and Zoey stared after him, the silver ring on her right hand vibrated, startling her greatly. Once Ra's was gone, she reached for the messenger.

**We need to talk….**

Zoey swallowed hard; those words were never good…..


	8. Anger

Chapter 8

**AN: I **_**really**_** didn't like writing this chapter…. The next one will be better, promise!**

Chapter 8

Zoey's head was already pounding by the time she managed to slip away from Ra's hideout to go meet Bruce. The day had been long, and the night was going to be even longer. As much as she wanted to see Bruce, she hoped he would hurry so she could go get a nap before 'terrorizing' Gotham with Ra's; she was so worn down….

Zoey made herself visible as she walked down to the Applied Sciences division of Wayne Enterprises. It was empty, except for Bruce who was doing something on one of the computers. She cleared her throat to get his attention. Bruce looked up, a sign of worry on his face.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Zoey shrugged, "I don't know…. It's been a _long_ day." She really didn't feel like discussing the entire day's events. She _really_ wasn't feeling like herself. "So what's up? I _kinda_ have to get back to help Ra's destroy Gotham…."

"Zoey, I _need_ to know something," Bruce said.

Zoey quirked one eyebrow, "What?"

"How much longer are you planning to keep this up?"

"What do you mean?" Zoey inquired. "You think I _like_ doing all this shit? You think I like having to deal with that goddamn bastard and having to put up with all the moves he's pulling on me?"

"I don't know," Bruce said. "Frankly, the only thing I _do_ care about is getting you back safely. And I _really_ need you back soon."

"Why?" Zoey inquired as the sound of clacking heels reached her ears. She looked around, gave Bruce an odd look, and vanished. Bruce felt her move behind him as Celeste appeared.

"Who the hell is _she_? Zoey hissed in Bruce's ear.

Bruce didn't answer her as Celeste walked up to him, her blue eyes shining as always, "There you are, Mr. Wayne. I've been looking for you."

"Have you?" Bruce inquired. "Why? The day's nearly over."

"I just wanted to say I look _very_ forward to continuing to work with you," Celeste smiled, and Zoey swore she could feel the rage inside of her bubbling.

"Thanks, Celeste," Bruce was choosing his words carefully as he could feel Zoey's hand beginning to warm up on his shoulder. He knew that if she got truly pissed her hand would probably burn straight through his suit; controlling her temper was not something she did very well….

Bruce stepped back as Celeste stepped toward him, stomping directly on Zoey's foot. He heard her hiss and her grip on his shoulder tightened almost painfully. He wrenched his shoulder out of her grip, but as he did so, Celeste kissed him passionately, putting her hands where Zoey's had been moments before. Bruce couldn't stop his reaction; he kissed Celeste back, momentarily forgetting Zoey was right behind him. His memory jolted back to him when they separated.

"What the hell was that?" Bruce snapped somewhat harshly.

"What do you think it was?" Celeste giggled, her hand on Bruce's cheek.

"I have a _girlfriend_, Celeste," Bruce said. "One who I love very much."

"Like she's ever going to find out," Celeste sang.

"_Oh_, she's going to," Bruce groaned. Indeed as he said it, he felt Zoey pass him. He tried to reach out to her without looking suspicious, but her hair slipped through his fingers. "Goddamn it, Celeste…."

He ran past her, and once she was out of earshot, he called Zoey's name, but she didn't answer. His messenger beeped showing him two words:

**Fuck you**

Zoey had gone back to Ra's hideout, but first took a little pit stop to Bruce's caves. She retrieved the Phoenix armor that Lucius Fox had crafted for her; she was going to need it. Zoey was furious, but exhausted above it all. She fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow in the room Ra's gave her. Her sleep was not long enough as Ra's came looking for her not even an hour later.

"This better be important," Zoey growled as she sat up. Her head was pounding slightly, and the room was spinning.

"The gas was just released all over Gotham," Ra's informed her. "I need you to go to town to make sure Batman is kept busy."

Zoey shook her head slightly, "Ra's I'm _really_ not feeling well…."

Before she could say anything else, she felt Ra's boot connect with her stomach and she hit the wall behind her bed.

"Pain should motivate you to fight harder if anything, Phoenix," Ra's growled as Zoey's breaths came in painful bursts. "Now go into Gotham and make sure Batman doesn't have time to try and save his precious city."

Ra's left her, and Zoey ran a string of curses out of her mouth. _That fucking bastard…._

She got to her feet and went into Central Gotham, gliding effortlessly from rooftop to rooftop thanks to Lucius' armor.

"You run out on me, and then you rob me?"

The growl didn't surprise her one bit as she landed on one rooftop near Wayne Tower. She whirled around to face Batman.

"You kiss another girl and expect me not to be pissed?" Zoey inquired.

"You little hypocrite!" Bruce called her out. "You're going around kissing Ra's!"

"That's not the same!" Zoey roared. "Saying no to Ra's could cost me my fucking life, Bruce…. Not that you'd give a damn."

"Cut the crap, Zoey," Bruce snapped. "You _know_ I care about you more than anything. Now, are you going to help me save Gotham?"

Zoey shook her head, "I can't, Bruce."

"Yes, Phoenix, tell your lover how you're not going to be a two timer anymore."

Zoey gasped as she turned around, Ra's was standing a few feet behind her. He looked furious and dangerous.

"You…. You knew?" Zoey stammered.

"Of course I knew, Phoenix," Ra's snarled. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

Zoey felt like her throat was closing up, "You never said anything—"

"I was waiting to see how far you'd let me go before you cracked, Phoenix," Ra's smirked. "It's really a shame. You were such an amazing student of mine…. But now it's time for you to choose, Phoenix; where do you belong? With the people of Gotham, or with me, ruling over Gotham?

If Zoey's throat was tight before, it was nothing compared to how it became; she was scared for her life.

"I…I…"

Zoey looked back and forth between Bruce and Ra's, both were glaring at her with their arms crossed. Zoey hated decision making enough as it was, but this was something that _wasn't_ just going to go away.

Zoey made her mental choice. She walked over to Ra's and to Bruce's fury, she kissed him. The kiss deepened slowly, and Bruce honestly wanted to rip both of them apart. When Zoey broke apart from him, she took a few steps back.

"I'm sorry, Ra's…."


	9. Lost Opportunity

Chapter 9

**AN: Hey there! So this update is nice and long for all of you! I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 9

Bruce felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart somewhere between twenty or thirty times. So that was how it was going to end with them.

"I'm sorry, because I'm about to kick your ass."

"HUH?!" Bruce said before he could stop himself. Zoey turned back to him, an amused look on her face. But the amusement turned to rage as she stood by him.

"I'd _never_ betray Gotham, _or_ Bruce like that," Zoey snarled. "Bruce was able to kick your ass once before, and now both of us together—"

Ra's started laughing, "You think I'm in this alone, don't you? You're not the only one with a female partner, Bruce."

Celeste appeared beside Ra's glaring directly at Zoey, "_Hello, Phoenix_."

"Ah, shit," Zoey groaned. "You mean I've got to fight a slut too?"

"Is the pot calling the kettle black?" Celeste inquired. "I wouldn't be talking about _me_ being a slut, Phoenix when you're the one who was going along with your man at the same time you were letting Ra's sweet talk you."

"Bitch," Zoey snarled. "I'm not proud of what I did, but I did it for a reason. Gotham isn't going to bow beneath the likes of _you_, or Ra's for that matter."

"It's a shame, Phoenix," Ra's sighed. "It would've been nice to have you with us."

He launched for Zoey, grabbing her by the throat before she could defend herself. Celeste began fighting Bruce so he would not be able to help her. Ra's forced Zoey against a wall and began squeezing her throat.

"You're a weak fucking bitch," Ra's snarled at her as her hands began clawing at his. If she could just get a good grip on his wrist… "You're going to wind up with your sister and _both_ of your parents in hell."

"Bastard," Zoey gasped, feeling rather lightheaded. Over his shoulder she could see Batman fighting against Celeste. _Come on…._ She continued to claw at Ra's arm, at last, reaching a small portion of skin, enough to burn him successfully. Zoey gasped as Ra's dropped her and she hit the floor with a thud. _Enough of this…._

Zoey got to her feet and went invisible. She began beating the shit out of Ra's, punching and kicking him back and back and back until they were fighting on the ledge of the building.

"You wouldn't kill me, Phoenix, would you?" Ra's inquired as they fought along the ledge. Zoey tripped him and he gripped to the edge, hanging over the other side.

"Try me," Zoey snarled as she became visible. "You fucking bastard, you deserve to die after what you put me through."

She advanced on him, kneeling down to burn his hands so he would release his grip on the building.

"Zoey, don't."

Bruce's voice behind her stopped her from burning Ra's hands and making him fall.

"He deserves to die," Zoey said to Bruce, not willing to look at him.

"But not this way," Bruce responded, putting his hand on Zoey's back. "Z, you're not an executioner; and now's _definitely_ not the time to become one."

Zoey didn't move. The rage burning inside of her didn't let her do so. She wanted to kill Ra's with all of her heart….

"Batman."

The new voice startled both Zoey and Bruce. Commissioner Gordon appeared on the rooftop, two sets of handcuffs in his hands.

"I got here as soon as I could," Gordon said to the Dark Knight. "Now, I see one of the two…. Where's—"

"He's there," Batman growled, motioning over to where Zoey was kneeling. In a swift movement, he raised Ra's up from the ledge and held him as Gordon handcuffed him. Gordon then handcuffed Celeste, who Batman had succeeded in tying up. Bruce looked around for Zoey, but merely saw her glide off of the roof and into the darkness with a soft whoosh from her cape.

Bruce returned to his mansion to find Alfred in a rather apprehensive mood. He was on his way to the secret entrance to the Batcave when he finally decided to ask.

"Did someone threaten to burn down the mansion again?" Bruce inquired. "What's up, Alfred?"

"It's Miss Smith, Master Wayne."

Bruce's eyes narrowed, "What about her?"

"She stopped by long enough to leave you this," Alfred held out a piece of paper that looked like it had been written in two and a half seconds.

_Bruce, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for what I'm about to say. I NEED to find some clarity in my life, and I'm not going to find it in Gotham, not with the way things are right now. I'll be back one day, but I'm not sure when. Please don't wait for me; it wouldn't be fair for me to ask you to do that. You deserve someone better than me anyways. I love you so much…._

_Zoey_

Bruce's heart sank as he read the letter. He had to stop her. Without another word to Alfred, he shot back out the front door and glided off towards Zoey's apartment above Flame. But by the time he got there, the apartment looked entirely normal, but Zoey was no where to be found inside of it. The only clue that Bruce had that Zoey had even been there, was the fact that her armor was laying on her bed.

"Zoey…."

Bruce was in a bad mood for the following days; he was unwilling to believe that Zoey was actually gone. He was lashing out at anything and everything that moved as he was in such a bad mood. It took a good week before Lucius Fox finally decided to approach his boss.

"Mr. Wayne, I know that you're upset about Zoey disappearing like that, but how long is it going to take for you to calm down already?" Lucius inquired after a particularly boring board meeting.

Bruce sighed and ran his fingers through his hair and sat behind his desk, "Lucius, do you _seriously_ understand what's going through my head right now?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Mr. Wayne," Lucius admitted. "I don't think I could _ever_ understand what goes through _your_ head."

"Lucius, I wanted to _marry_ Zoey."

Lucius's eyes widened slightly, "Did you ever tell her?"

"Didn't get a chance to," Bruce admitted.

"Then this probably wouldn't be the best time for me to tell you that I hired you a new assistant, would it?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed and his expression got even darker. He stood up from his chair and walked past Lucius, "No, it wouldn't be; especially if she turns out like the last one."

He opened the door to his office and promptly slammed into a woman who had been about to knock on his office door. They both fell over as a result. Bruce looked at her and he was certain he'd never seen her before. She was tall, with a kind face and dark red hair with vibrant celery green eyes.

"Um, hi," Bruce said. "I'm so sorry; I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"It's okay," The woman responded. "But this sure is a nice way to meet the boss…."

"Mr. Wayne, meet Bailey Reese, your new assistant," Lucius said, helping Bailey to her feet.

A year and a half rolled by; probably a little too quickly for Bruce to enjoy. But a lot had changed in that time. Bruce was engaged to Bailey. It had taken a lot from him to finally realize that Zoey _probably_ wasn't going to be coming back, and it had taken a _lot_ of prodding from both Lucius and Alfred to finally ask Bailey to go out with him. They were early inseparable after over a year of dating, and Bruce could only see himself happier in _one_ different situation.

There was a knocking on the door. Bruce opened his eyes slowly to see Bailey poking her head through his bedroom door, a smile on her face.

_It's so nice to see a smile this early…_Bruce thought as he stretched and several of his joints popped.

"Hi," Bailey said, walking into the room ad sitting on the edge of Bruce's bed.

"Good morning," Bruce responded with a yawn. Bailey leaned over and kissed him gently. He hugged her body closer to his and nuzzled her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. "When did you get here?"

"About twenty minutes ago," Bailey responded with a giggle. "How did you sleep?"

"It could have been better," Bruce admitted.

"Did you have that dream again?" Bailey inquired.

"_That_ dream?" Bruce's eyebrows rose slightly.

"About _her_."

Bruce laughed, "_She_ has a name. And yes, if you want me to be honest with you, I did dream about _her_."

Ever since Zoey left him without a trace other than the note, he'd had dreams about where she went, most of them didn't have happy endings, but Bruce knew Zoey well, and he knew that wherever she was, she was probably doing well.

"Bruce," Bailey groaned. "When are you going to realize that she's _not_ coming back?"

Bruce smirked, "Bails, why do you care so much? You know that I love you and that I'm getting married to _you_. I know I'm probably never going to see Zoey again, but I also _really_ can't control my dreams."

"I'm sorry, Bruce," Bailey sighed, taking one of Bruce's hands in hers. "You're right; you _can't_ control what you dream about. I'm sorry."

There was suddenly a loud noise from down the hall. Bruce sat bolt upright, his heart pounding. Bailey looked from him to the door and back again, a slightly scared look on her face.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," Bruce said honestly.

"_Will you be quiet?!_" Bruce heard Alfred hiss. "I thought you said you didn't want him to hear you."

"_What do you want from my life?!_" A new voice, this one female hissed back. "He's locked the goddamn door!"

Bruce's eyebrows rose, "You're kidding me. I'll be right back, Bailey."

He rose from the bed and turned to Bailey, just as Alfred appeared in the doorway.

"What's going on, Alfred?" Bruce inquired, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Nothing, Master Wayne," Alfred responded hurriedly. "But I don't suppose you know where the key to the room down the hall is, do you?"

"That's Zoey's old room," Bruce responded. "_Yes,_ I know where the key is, but why do you want it?"

"To clean the room," Alfred said simply. "Just because she's not around anymore, doesn't mean the room should turn into a mausoleum."

"Aha," Bruce mused. "Where is she?"

"Where is who, exactly?"

"I know she's in the house, Alfred, you might as well just tell me where before I have to burn the house to find her."

"You can't find her either way," Alfred said. "She's invisible."

"So you admit that she's here?"

"I didn't say she was."

"_Enough_ already!" A voice called out of the air. Zoey materialized in the hallway, but she looked rather different; her hair was shorter and brown instead of black, but it still had the red streaks through it. Her eyes were as Bruce remembered; brown with the red lightning bolt zigzags. "_I have a name!_"

Something silver on her teeth flashed when she talked and Bruce had to bite back his laugh, "You have braces?"

Zoey rolled her eyes, "I got some of my teeth a little messed up. I'm supposed to only have them for a few more weeks."

"What are you doing here?" Bruce inquired.

"I needed to get my stuff so I can pack up."

"Pack up?" Bruce inquired. "You're moving permanently?"

Zoey shrugged, "I'm not sure. But I _do_ miss having my clothes, so if you could unlock this door, that'd be great."

"Bruce?" Bailey's voice called from behind him. Bruce cringed, _Ah, shit…This isn't going to be nice…_

Bailey appeared at his side, and her eyes widened slightly, "Who're you?"

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but Zoey cut her off.

"I'm Zoey. You must be Bailey. Lucius told me all about you."

"And Bruce has told me everything about you," Bailey responded. "I thought you left Gotham."

"I did," Zoey responded. "Look, I'm not here for any other reason but to pick up some of my old stuff, which I would have done without both of y'all realizing I was here if the door hadn't been locked."

"You've spoken to Lucius?" Bruce inquired, his mind buzzing slightly.

"A few days ago," Zoey affirmed. "I just had some questions for him about my…. _Gift_."

Bruce looked from Zoey to Bailey and back again, "What do you mean?"

"I want to get rid of it," Zoey said. "Permanently."

Bruce was slightly surprised to hear Zoey say what she was, Zoey had grown to love her gift when they'd been together. But wait a second, why didn't Lucius mention Zoey calling to him? And even worse, what had Lucius said about Bailey. Did Zoey know that they were engaged?

"I'm going to go get some breakfast," Bailey said. "Alfred, do you want to help me?"

Alfred nodded and excused himself with Bailey. They went down the stairs together and Zoey inhaled deeply, crossing her arms.

"She seems nice," Zoey mused.

"We're engaged."

Zoey's eyes widened slightly and Bruce instantly felt his stomach clench; Lucius hadn't told her, neither had Alfred….

"Wow," Zoey whispered. "I _wasn't_ expecting that."

"I'm sorry, Zoey," Bruce said, walking closer to her. "But you _did_ tell me not to wait for you. Where have you been?"

Zoey took half a step back, just so that she was out of Bruce's reach, "Everywhere abroad; England, Australia, Germany, Japan…."

"How did you manage to do that?"

"Bought a one-way ticket to London and stowed away on the rest of the trips," Zoey responded. "Look, Bruce, can you just unlock the goddamn door so I can get my stuff and go? I have a lot I need to do today, _including _a trip to that godforsaken orthodontist."

Bruce nodded and retrieved the key from his room. When he came back Zoey was talking on her cell phone in what Bruce recognized as rapid Japanese. He didn't know that she knew different languages. He unlocked the door and Zoey hung up her cell phone.

"How long have you spoken Japanese for?"

"Seventeen years?" Zoey mused. "I learned while Triton was raising me."

"Oh," Bruce felt a slight surge of sadness as Zoey walked by him into the room. Zoey sighed and looked around the room. The first thing her eyes found was the bracelet he'd given to her nearly two years earlier with the bat and phoenix charms. She picked it up and examined it for a second. She turned around to face Bruce.

"Do you want this back?" She asked. "I'd love to keep it, but I understand if you don't want me to."

Bruce shook his head, "I gave it to you on your birthday. It belongs to you."

Bruce could see the sadness reflected in Zoey's eyes as she slid the bracelet onto her wrist and looked around the room.

"You can stay here for a few days if you want," Bruce said.

Zoey shook her head, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to be coming and going about ten times a day at _random_ times, and I don't know how long I'm going to be in Gotham for…. It all depends on how fast I can sell the club—"

"You're selling Flame?!" Bruce inquired.

Zoey nodded, "I need the money, badly, actually."

Bruce wished Zoey would let him help her, but there was something in the way that she was acting that told him that she wasn't about to accept _any_ help, let alone _his_ help. Zoey looked at the clock on the wall.

"Damn it," She whispered. "I'm going to be late for my orthodontist… Can I come by later to pack up?"

Bruce nodded, "Feel free; I'm going to be at work all day anyway."

"Thanks," Zoey said and zipped past him.

Bruce sighed and stared after her. Emotions were flying around him as were zillions of questions about what could have or would have been….

"Zoeynyx…."


	10. Hatred

Chapter 10

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long for me to update! I was at a friend's house over the weekend, and I went to San Diego with a few friends on Monday. But here's the update, I hope you enjoy it! PS: Some Zoey/Bruce fans may not like me halfway through this chapter, sorry! Don't kill me! –Runs and hides-**

Chapter 10

As Zoey sped through Gotham, emotions were hitting her like bullets. She had lied about the orthodontist; she had just wanted to get out of Wayne Manor. She had been so looking forward to returning to Gotham, but now, all she wanted to do was run. She hated Gotham; she hated the fucking city and every single person within the boundaries of it. She just wanted to get out as quickly as possible, but there was still work to be done.

Like she'd done so many times before, she bit back her emotions and drove to Flame. The club was, of course, empty. It was only afternoon and the club wasn't supposed to open for at least six hours. She was thankful for the calming sight of the empty club. Once she locked the door behind her she ran up the stairs and retrieved her black Macbook. There was so much she wanted to do, but she didn't even _know_ where to get started.

_Well, if you REALLY want to leave Gotham soon, might as well put the club up on the market_.

As she was logging on to her email, her cell phone chimed.

**I know you're running**

**From me, but we need**

**To talk, whether you **

**Want to or not.**

Zoey rolled her eyes, _Like hell I HAVE to talk to him!_

She didn't respond to the text, she didn't do anything but type away at her computer. As the minutes ticked by slowly, she began to have a weird feeling in her stomach.

"Zoey!"

Zoey's eyes lit up as she heard the voice and the door to Flame slammed shut. A young African American woman with shining black hair and friendly dark brown eyes ran over to her and embraced her. Zoey felt herself smile, but she didn't know how she managed it.

"Hey, Brianna," Zoey said as the woman released her. Brianna Nichols was the manager Zoey had hired right before leaving Gotham. She hadn't known Brianna very well, but she'd gone with the good gut feeling she'd gotten when she met her, and she didn't resent the choice at all.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?!" Brianna demanded.

"Because I didn't know myself," Zoey said. "When was the last time I actually spoke to you?"

"About three weeks ago," Brianna said after thinking for a moment.

"Exactly, I didn't know how long it was going to take me to get back home," Zoey said. "It took me a week and a half to actually find a way."

"Oh, I forgot, you weren't traveling with your wallet or any ID, or _anything_ normal," Brianna rolled her eyes. "You're really insane, do you know that?"

Zoey shrugged, "I've been told. I need to tell you by the way, that I'm selling the club."

"WHAT?!" Brianna exclaimed. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

"It's not about you, Bri, and you know it," Zoey sighed.

"Then what is it about?"

"Did you know Bruce was engaged?"

Brianna's face instantly turned guilty. Zoey inhaled and exhaled slowly, shaking her head, "If _everyone_ wouldn't have been so goddamn afraid of me and just told me that there was no reason for me to come back, I would have just stayed where I was."

"Oh, Zoey!" Brianna said. "Don't say that! _I_ missed you!"

Zoey snorted, "Bri, I love ya, but the _only_ reason I came back to Gotham _other_ than to get my braces fixed was to see Bruce. Now that he _obviously_ doesn't want to see me, and I'd have to live here seeing him with another woman, I want to be anywhere other than here."

"So you're going to sell the club, and then what?" Brianna inquired.

Zoey shrugged, "I'll see where life takes me. Actually, now that I think about it, there _is_ one other thing that I need to do now that I'm back in Gotham."

"What's that?"

"You don't want to know."

Zoey left the club and drove back in the direction of Wayne Manor. But instead of taking a certain turn, she turned in the opposite direction. It took her up a long and winding road. The road ended in front of a black rusted gate. Zoey got out of her Range Rover and shivered as a cold wind hit her. She walked up to the gate, it was padlocked just like she remembered, but that wasn't an issue. She climbed the gate with ease and flipped herself over it. In front of her was a mansion as big as Wayne Manor. At the moment it wasn't looking nearly as nice as the majestic Wayne Manor however; the lawn was badly overgrown, and the entire mansion just looked entirely spooky.

"Might as well get this over with," Zoey sighed as another wind whipped her hair around her body. She walked up the large steps to the front door of the mansion. There were cobwebs over the corners of the door, but Zoey paid them no attention. She picked up the filthy doormat and found an old skeleton key. She put the key into the lock and the door swung open with a loud creak.

The smell of the musty house hit her as she walked in and closed the door behind her. She put her hand over her mouth to avoid getting the smell into her mouth as she stood in the foyer, deciding where she wanted to go first. She decided to go up the steps in front of her. Mice scrambled as they heard her footsteps, and Zoey had to stop herself from cringing. Once on the second floor, she stopped, trying to remember….

_Third door on the right_, Her mind told her. She walked to the third door on the right and opened the creaking door slowly. She found herself staring at a picture above a huge bed. The picture was faded slightly, but it still showed the four subjects brilliantly. She walked slowly to the picture and examined it; two parents, two children, all of them smiling, entirely unaware that their peaceful family would soon be torn apart.

"Raina," Zoey said quietly as she looked at the blonde girl in the picture that was standing beside a five year old, herself.

The picture was of her family. It was the last picture that was taken of all four of them before Raina had died. Everything around her was hers. The house was her parent's house, but _legally_ she didn't own it as no one had ever recovered her parent's will. The house had remained abandoned since her parent's death. But she had a different reason for 'breaking in' to her own house. She looked around the room and found what she was looking for. She pulled the carpet up, beginning in the corner. A few feet closer to the bed, a safe was revealed. Zoey smiled at her brilliance. She'd remembered about the safe that no one had ever been able to find.

The safe was, of course, locked, but that was no matter for Zoey. Zoey placed her hand on the lock and felt the heat begin to radiate from her palm. Within minutes, the thick metal of the vault door melted away. Zoey smiled as she carefully lifted the contents of the vault out. There was _a lot_ of money, some jewelry that was near scalding hot when she picked them up, and….

"The last will and testament…." Zoey's voice trailed off as she read the papers that she pulled out. "_Finally!_"

A few days crept by. Zoey was busy as hell doing various things; calling lawyers, meeting with potential club owners, getting her braces removed and fitted for retainers…. For the first time, she'd actually forgotten about Bruce Wayne as she was so busy. She'd forgotten anything that didn't have to do with her current goal of getting out of Gotham as quickly as possible. Everything was going smoothly _except_ for finding a new club owner. Zoey had gotten some nice offers, but she hadn't liked anyone who she'd met so far. She wanted her club to be in good hands.

The morning of another meeting, she was sitting in front of her laptop eating her breakfast when the door to her club opened. Zoey looked up and saw her worst nightmare walking towards her. She jumped off of her stool and ran towards Bruce as he walked towards her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Zoey demanded. "I have a meeting in here in five minutes with a potential club owner!"

"I know," Bruce said, his eyebrows rising slightly. "You have it with me."

Zoey immediately shook her head, "_No_. I can tell ya right now that I am _not_ selling you this club."

Bruce shook his head, "As interested as I am in buying your club, I came here for another reason as well."

"I'm _really_ not in the mood to talk, Bruce," Zoey said instantly. "I've barely slept this entire week."

"I know."

Zoey's glare turned icy, "You've been watching me?"

"Maybe," Bruce said. "Why haven't you been returning my calls?"

Zoey sighed, "Bruce, why are you trying to kill me?"

Bruce gave Zoey a confused look, "Kill you? I think that's the _last_ thing I'd ever try to do to you. What's going on, Zoey?"

"You're getting married, Bruce," Zoey said. "You're freaking _engaged_ to another woman! Why are you trying so hard to talk to me?"

"Because I still _care_ about you, Zoeynyx."

"Don't call me that, please," Zoey growled. "I'm not the same person that I was before I left. I'm stronger, smarter, and more able; the _last_ thing I need is your pity."

"You've _always_ been strong, smart, and able," Bruce reasoned. "All the traveling did was pull it out of you. It hurts you _that_ much to talk to me?"

"It's not the talking that hurts, Bruce," Zoey said, shaking her head. "It's knowing that you're with another woman, loving her like you used to love me."

Bruce's expression softened slightly, "Who said I _used_ to love you?"

"Don't _even_ start that with me," Zoey's voice sounded strangled for a split second. "You are _not_ about to use that 'L' word around me; not in this situation; I can't handle it."

Zoey sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. As she did so, Bruce caught her wrist and turned it over, examining Zoey's arm. A series of scratches were visible along her right arm.

"Did you have a run in with a weed whacker?" Bruce inquired semi-jokingly, but was really trying to be serious.

"Maybe," Zoey could play games just as well as he. She tried to pull her wrist back, but Bruce pulled her back stronger. "Ouch, goddamn it, Bruce! Let me go!"

"Tell me those marks aren't what I think they are and I will," Bruce responded. "Have you been doing this to yourself?"

"Maybe," Zoey rolled her eyes. "_Let me go._"

"_Zoey_," Bruce said seriously. "Why?"

"If you _really_ have to ask me that, maybe you don't care about me as much as you insinuated to," Zoey's eyebrows rose as she pulled her wrist back again and it slid out of Bruce's strong grip easily. "Any other things you want to give me a headache over?"

"If you're going to be like that, _Ms. Smith_, then yes," Bruce was getting a headache of his own. "I _came down here_ for the purpose of purchasing your club."

"This is _bullshit_, Bruce!" Zoey snapped. "Why are you such a jerk?!"

"_I'm_ the jerk?" Bruce laughed. "Who disappeared for a year and a half without a trace?! Zoey, for all I knew you were dead!"

"_Yes_, Bruce, someone like _me_, who's survived hell _literally_, would be killed by living abroad on the streets."

"You're _not_ invincible, Zoey, you're human!"

"Says the person who flies around Gotham stopping criminals nightly!" Zoey exclaimed. "I'm _more_ invincible than you are, without a fucking doubt!"

"Your powers are only as strong as you are," Bruce snarled.

"What are you trying to say, Bruce?" Zoey inquired. "I've been shot twice, I've been hit with fireballs and energyballs countless times in my life, I can withstand almost anything that gets thrown at me…. Goddamn it. Bruce, I fucking hate you."

"Why, because someone else is where you're supposed to be?"

Zoey stiffened slightly, "Huh?"

"I was going to ask you to marry me before you left, Zoey," Bruce said. "Are you happy now?"

"Get out," Zoey snarled. "Get the fuck out of my club. I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you, I don't ever want to hear the fucking sound of your voice again!"

Bruce left without another word. He was fuming, but Zoey had walked right into that one. He hadn't been planning to tell her the truth, not for a while when things had settled down between them. But the fact that he still got pissed when she said that she hated him, told him something; he still had feelings for her.

Forcing those feelings to the back of his mind, Bruce sped through town in his Lamborghini. He arrived at Wayne Manor minutes later, happy to see Bailey's Volkswagon Beetle waiting in the driveway. He walked up the stairs to the mansion and looked around for his fiancée. He found her, a smirk on her face, in his bed only half dressed.

"Hey, Bruce," Bailey's long red hair fell over her black bra as she sat up. "I was wondering when you were going to come home."

"I had to go meet someone in town," Bruce said, a smirk coming to his own face as he kissed Bailey gently on the lips.

"Tsk," Bailey smirked. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I didn't know you would be coming to see me with only half your clothes on," Bruce laughed, his hands traveling along Bailey's thin frame. He felt chills erupt over the small woman's body as he began to kiss a trail down her body, taking an agonizingly long time to do so. Bailey pulls Bruce closer to her body as she lies back down on the bed and kisses him heatedly. Her hands begin working his belt and his pants soon drop to the floor. Within minutes Bailey is squirming in his hands, begging him for more as he makes love to her; thrusting in and out of her with alternating rhythms. As the both have amazing ends, Bruce stops himself from collapsing on Bailey, his arms shaking slightly as they support his weight.

"I love you, Bruce," Bailey whispered quietly only breaking their kiss for a split second.

"I love you too," Bruce responded. "I love you so much, Zoey."

Bailey broke apart from him quicker than lightning, Bruce's own eyes widened.

"_Zoey?!_"


	11. All You Wanted

AN: Hey guys

**AN: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, I DO NOT own the song, it belongs to Michelle Branch, a **_**wonderful**_** singer who we don't really hear about anymore…. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11

**I wanted to be like you  
I wanted everything  
So I tried to be like you  
And I got swept away**

I didn't know that it was so cold  
And you needed someone  
to show you the way  
So I took your hand and we figured out  
That when the time comes  
I'd take you away

If you want to  
I can save you  
I can take you away from here  
So lonely inside  
So busy out there  
And all you wanted  
was somebody who cares

I'm sinking slowly  
So hurry hold me  
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on  
Please can you tell me  
So I can finally see  
Where you go when you're gone

A few days passed, and Zoey was more than a mess. As the song boomed out of the speakers of her macbook, tears rolled down her cheeks. She was mad at herself, she was mad at Bruce…. But at the same time, her heart was aching terribly. The song she felt, strangely enough, like it related to what was going on with her and Bruce. When they had been together, all she did was try her hardest to be 'normal,' but deep down, she was still trying to figure herself out.

She took a drink from the glass beside her computer as she sighed deeply. When she put the glass down, she nearly jumped out of her skin; Bruce was standing in the middle of the club.

"What are you doing here?" Zoey's voice cracked when she spoke.

"Bailey left me," Bruce said. Zoey's eyebrows rose at Bruce's tone. He didn't exactly sound remorseful….

"What happened?" Zoey inquired. She whipped some of her own tears away, hoping in vain that Bruce hadn't seen them.

"I called her Zoey right after we had sex," Bruce responded, walking over to the bar and sitting on the stool opposite Zoey.

"Should I take that as a compliment?" Zoey asked.

Bruce gave her a small smile, "Zoey, isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?"

"Bailey and I were never going to work out, Zoey," Bruce sighed. "I'm still crazy in love with you."

Zoey shook her head, "Bruce… Things _aren't_ that simple! What, so you break up with Bailey, and now you want to go back to me? Oh, that makes me feel _amazing_."

"It's _not_ like that at all, Zoey," Bruce said. He extended his hands slowly and took one of Zoey's hands in his. "Please, I just want one more chance."

Zoey wouldn't look at him, "Bruce, I love you so much that I feel like it's killing me right now, and hell, it probably is. But I _don't_ want to be you're second best or your rebound."

"You're _really_ going to say no to me?" Bruce inquired.

"I'm not saying no," Zoey responded. "I just… I don't know. Do you _know_ what these days since I came back to Gotham have been like?"

Bruce's expression softened, "I _honestly_ can't imagine, Zoey. Z, I'm asking for you to find it in your heart to forgive me."

"I do forgive you, Bruce," Zoey said. "Hell, I'm the one who should be asking _you_ to forgive me for everything." She inhaled slowly before continuing, "I'll tell you what. The next time the Bat Signal is in the sky, I'll answer you."

Bruce smirked, "I never thought I could look so forward to seeing the Bat Signal."

To Bruce's surprise, Zoey smiled too, "You never know…"

The Bat Signal didn't appear for three days. When it finally did, Phoenix actually beat Batman to Commissioner Gordon.

"Nice to see that you finally convinced your partner to come back to work," Gordon commented as Batman appeared atop the building.

"_He_ didn't convince me," Phoenix said coldly. "I convinced him though. He's waiting for an answer from me."

"An answer to what?" Gordon inquired.

"A love matter," Phoenix rolled her eyes. "Anyways, you called us?"

"Yes," Gordon said. "There's a new villainess in Gotham."

"Villainess?" Batman growled. "That's a first."

"Calls herself Catwoman," Gordon said. "The two of you _have got_ to stop influencing people."

"Catwoman?" Phoenix repeated. "Just what we need, a crazy cat imitator in Gotham. I'll look into it, Gordon."

"_You_?" Batman inquired. "What's wrong with me?"

"You're a man," Phoenix responded. "You don't hit women, except for me while we're sparring usually. _I'll_ look into it, and if I need your help, I know where to get it."

As she said it, her enhanced hearing caught sounds of a struggle. Her eyes widened and she dove off the rooftop towards the noise. As Batman ran to the edge, he saw Phoenix's cape expand into the glider and she vanished into the darkness.

"She's worse than you are," Gordon said.

"She's avoiding me," Batman growled. "But she's also onto something right now."

Phoenix landed in a dark ally. At first she thought her hearing had misled her, but then she heard a cry of pain, and saw something glittering and black moving in the darkness.

Phoenix threw two Phoerangs, which were a new addition to her armor from Lucius, functioning very much like Batman's Batarangs. The Phoerangs exploded when they hit the glittering mass, and Catwoman whirled around. Her victim ran from her as quick as lightning.

"Hmm," Catwoman's lips curved into a smile. "Phoenix, I presume?"

"The one and only," Phoenix responded. "You're fucking around in the _wrong_ city, Kitty."

"That's what you think," Catwoman smirked. She lashed out with her whip and it tightened around Phoenix's throat. Catwoman pulled Phoenix closer to her and Phoenix pulled back at the leather quickly, trying to loosen it; the last thing she needed was to be knocked out by someone like Catwoman….

"Where's your Bat friend?" Catwoman inquired, her nails traveling along Phoenix's armor as she held her grip on the whip.

"Busy," Phoenix growled, reaching another Phoerang and tossing it at Catwoman. "Sorry, but you gotta fight me."

Phoenix kicked Catwoman's stomach as she back flipped away from her, but Catwoman's whip caught her ankle and twisted it as she landed.

"Bitch!" Phoenix gasped, pain immediately shooting through her leg.

"Aww," Catwoman cooed. "Did the little birdie get hurt?"

"Hardly," Ignoring the pain in her leg, Phoenix rose back to her feet. She punched Catwoman and finally shoved and held her up against a brick wall. "I'll tell you once; this city is protected by me, and by Batman. Screw around in _our_ city, and you'll pay for it, understand?"

Catwoman giggled, "I'm not afraid of you, or the overgrown bat, Birdie." She kicked Phoenix's stomach and sent her back to the ground. "We'll finish this another day."

With that, Catwoman disappeared, and in her place, Batman appeared. Zoey sighed and took off her mask.

"That went well," Bruce commented, looking around before removing his own cowl.

"Like hell it did," Zoey groaned as she stood up. "Fucking bitch twisted my ankle."

"You okay other wise?" Bruce asked.

Zoey sighed again as she nodded slowly. She could feel a bad mark already forming around her neck from the whip.

"You owe me an answer."

Zoey's eyes narrowed, "Is that all you've been thinking about?"

"Since I last saw you, yes," Bruce responded. "You can't blame me for being curious."

"True," Zoey agreed as she grabbed the lowest wrung of a nearby fire escape and swung from it.

Bruce shook his head and caught Zoey as she flipped off of the fire escape, "_Do_ you have an answer for me?"

Zoey nodded and put her head against the Batman insignia on Bruce's chest, "Indeed I do."

"Are you planning to tell me—?"

Bruce's sentence was cut off by Zoey kissing him gently. Bruce kissed her back and slowly the kiss deepened. He released Zoey and she stood, her arms snaking up around his neck. When they separated, Bruce nuzzled Zoey's neck as she held him close to her body. His arms went around her waist and he raised her up once more.

"Come on, we need to talk."

About an hour later, at Wayne Manor, Zoey was lying across Bruce's lap, feeling amazingly relaxed as she did so. Bruce's hands were playing with her hair, sending chills through her body as he did so.

"… So after Germany, I made my way back to Australia, and back out to my 'acquaintance's' brothel, and I spent a few months there re-earning what I had lost to pay that goddamn bail to get out of jail."

Bruce laughed, "I _still_ can't believe you were arrested in Germany."

"I got caught without papers," Zoey shrugged. "It was my own goddamn mistake. But then again, I was traveling the entire time without papers, and that was only the _first_ time I got arrested."

"And you worked in a brothel to earn money?"

"Not as a prostitute," Zoey said. "I acted as the house manager. My friend was generous when it came to my salary, _and_ she paid me in cash."

"So, where else were you arrested?"

"Germany, Morocco, Spain…."

Bruce smirked, "Such a naughty girl."

"I _am not!_" Zoey laughed.

Bruce bent over and kissed Zoey. Zoey moaned slightly into the kiss and pushed Bruce back so that Bruce's back was against the bed. Bruce's hands found Zoey's waist and he flipped them over, not breaking their kiss.

"Bruce," Zoey gasped as he began to kiss his way down her neck. Her eyes closed as her body arched against his. "Please…."

"Please what?" Bruce growled as he paused above the collar of her shirt.

"I want you," Zoey sighed. Oh lord, she felt like a slut for admitting it. But since she'd come back to Gotham, _despite_ the fact that he had been engaged, she still had wanted him badly. It was like she was an addict and he was the drug of life; she needed more of him.

Bruce smirked and slid off Zoey's shirt, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Hm?" Zoey's eyes rolled as Bruce began teasing her breasts.

"I want you too," Bruce whispered in her ear.

But something in the distance caught his eyes; the Bat Signal was in the sky once more….

"Son of a bitch," Bruce growled.

"What's wrong?" Zoey inquired.

Bruce pointed to the window, and Zoey groaned, "Twice in one night?"

"Rarely happens," Bruce sighed. He kissed Zoey's neck. "Rain check?"

"Always."


	12. Conversations

Chapter 12

**AN: Hey guys! I'm getting worse and worse at updates, sorry…. School starts soon, and then updates are really going to come later and later… (I'm gonna be a Senior!!) Anyway, enjoy the update, some sexual stuff, so if that ain't your cup of tea, I'm sorry. And yes, this is an AU, and you'll see why I say that towards the end of the chapter. ENJOY!**

Chapter 12

Bruce and Zoey changed back into their respective armors and sped off in the direction of the Bat Signal. Gordon was once again waiting for them.

"What's going on now?" Phoenix inquired as she retracted her grapple gun.

"I'm sorry to bother the two of you again," Gordon said sincerely. "But half the officers in my squad have suddenly come down as sick. They can't work tonight, and I don't think that it's by coincidence that it happened tonight. I think it has something to do with Catwoman."

"You want us to sweep the city?" Batman growled.

Gordon nodded and Batman shot Phoenix a look.

"Don't look at me like that," Phoenix said. "What's wrong now?"

"Can you handle it?"

Phoenix sighed. She knew in her heart why he was asking her. Her ankle was bothering her slightly, but she was still able to function.

"I'll be fine," Phoenix said at last. She nudged him playfully. "Don't worry about me so much, you'll get wrinkles. If it will make you feel better, I'll stay here and cover uptown, and you can take the Tumbler and go downtown."

Batman nodded, "Deal."

With that, Phoenix leapt off the building and flew into the darkness. Batman went back to the Tumbler and sped off in the opposite direction. Downtown Gotham was _easily_ more dangerous at night that uptown, so he felt a little bit better knowing that Zoey was up there instead of with him, lurking in the shadows of the warehouses. He parked the Tumbler between two warehouses and grappled himself up to the rooftop of the larger one. The night was _beautiful_. It was cool and quite, and with the darkness of downtown, Batman could see millions of stars glittering above him.

_So beautiful_, Batman thought. _I doubt Zoey can see this with all the lights uptown…._

Then he felt it. A slight change in the atmosphere around him…. He whirled around, his arm raised, just in time to block an attack from Catwoman. Catwoman's claw swiped his gauntlet, but did not tear it.

"Well, it's about time," Catwoman's lips curved into a smirk. "I was afraid I was going to have to deal with the overgrown bird again."

"That _overgrown bird_ is my girlfriend," Batman snarled, kicking Catwoman roughly in the abdomen.

Catwoman hissed, "You'd beat up a woman?"

"You're not a woman," Batman smirked. "Not to me at least."

Catwoman cracked her whip, "Then this shall be interesting."

Batman rolled out of the way of Catwoman's whip and slammed her with a punch to the jaw. Her sharp claws slashed right through the armor covering his chest. Distracted for a split second, Catwoman smashed her booted leg into his cowl and he fell onto the hard rooftop, entirely dazed. The stars in the sky seemed to burst into life before his eyes. He shook his head, trying to rid his eyes of the stars, but that threw his equilibrium off even more. Catwoman kicked him once more, this time to the ribcage.

"What's wrong, Batty?" Catwoman inquired, walking over to him as he tried to regain himself. She straddled his abdomen, her legs pinning his arms down. "Can't balance yourself?"

"Get off of me," Batman snarled.

"So, the bird is really your girlfriend?" Catwoman inquired, one nail tracing the lines of his armor. "You could do so much better…."

Catwoman had no time to say anything else. She suddenly felt as if something had shot her head. She turned around to see Phoenix glaring at her, one leg lowering. Where the hell had _she_ come from?

"He probably didn't tell you," Phoenix snarled. "But I've got a _vicious_ temper."

Phoenix tore Catwoman off of Batman and helped her fallen ally to his feet. Catwoman hissed and disappeared.

"A later day, Batty."

Phoenix watched her go, "She's not as dumb as she looks. She's not ready to fight both of us at once." She turned to Batman, running her fingers over the slits that had been formed by Catwoman's claws, "How the hell did her nails shred through that?"

Batman shook his head. He had yet to say a word to her, and that made her uneasy, "What's wrong with you?" She inquired at last. "I know you're a quiet person, but…."

"What?"

He hadn't even been listening. Phoenix sighed and shook her head; it was like talking to a wall... He obviously had something on his mind, but this was ridiculous. Phoenix rolled her eyes.

"I'll meet you back at the Manor," Phoenix said.

"You're not going to drive with me?"

"Not if you're going to be like this," Was the response he got as she vanished into the darkness.

Batman sighed, _yes_; he did have something on his mind. Catwoman…. There was something strange about that woman…. But he also owed his partner for saving him. Not just for saving him, but also for not at least thanking her. He went back to Wayne Manor, but Zoey wasn't even there. Her Range Rover was gone as well, giving Bruce a clue as to where she might've gone. He got out of his armor and let Alfred examine the new cuts along his abdomen.

"Might I suggest a conversation with Mr. Fox if you and Miss Smith intend on continuing to fight the Catwoman?"

Bruce sighed, "I'm already planning on it, Alfred. Zoey _did_ come home before taking her Range Rover, right?"

"Yes she did," Alfred said. "She was here long enough to shed her armor and change her clothes."

"Thanks, Alfred," Bruce said and left the Batcave. He got into his steel grey Lamborghini Mercielago and sped into town. He, unsurprisingly, found Zoey's Range Rover parked outside of Flame. The nightclub was packed, despite the time of one-thirty AM. The bouncer gave Bruce one look and let him through. Zoey was behind the bar, her eyes reflecting the glowing fire tanks. She was talking to Brianna, whom he'd met through the amount of times he'd been to the club while Zoey had been away. Brianna saw Bruce before Zoey did and nudged her slightly. Zoey turned and face him, sighing visibly.

Bruce walked over to the bar, a slightly amused look on his face, "Do I really bring you that much grief?"

"_What_ are you doing here?" Zoey inquired, crossing her bare arms. Bruce gave her the once over; she was wearing a white wife-beater and camouflage cargo pants that hung low around her hips. She didn't sound angry though, in fact, she was smiling.

"Following you around town like a dog apparently," Bruce responded.

"Apparently," Zoey's eyebrows rose. "Bruce, you know Brianna, or so she tells me…."

Bruce nodded, "She's a very good manager."

"The best," Zoey agreed. "So, why _did_ you follow me?"

"To apologize," Bruce responded.

"Already accepted," Zoey smirked. "Drink?"

"Sure."

Zoey handed him a scotch and literally hopped _over_ the bar, landing gently on her bare feet. _She never wears her shoes in here…._

"Come on," Zoey said, taking Bruce by the hand.

"Why?"

"We need to talk."

Bruce sighed and followed Zoey up to her apartment. Bruce knew that Zoey hated the apartment with a passion, which is why she willingly stayed at his house so often.

"What's up?" Bruce inquired once Zoey shut the door.

"I won my parent's money and house back," Zoey said. "I won it all…."

"That's incredible!" Bruce smiled. "Congratulations! But that means you're going to move out on me?"

Zoey shook her head, "Not for a while. The house hasn't been lived in for almost 20 years now, and it needs a _lot_ of work. I'm going to do it, just as a tribute to my parent's memory." She laughed somewhat sourly, "At least they can be proud of me for something."

"Your parents were well-off, weren't they?" Bruce inquired.

"Very," Zoey nodded. "The mansion in the opposite direction, off of Old Gotham Road that's been abandoned? That's my old house."

"_Really_," Bruce said. "That's the only house in Gotham that would compete with mine in the sense of value."

Zoey snorted, "And once it's restored?"

"We'll see then," Bruce shrugged.

Zoey sighed and laid down on the bed, "It's really crazy though…. I can't see myself living in that house again…. Hey, Bruce?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever think about a time when Batman isn't going to be needed anymore?"

Bruce contemplated the question for a few moments, "Of course I do. I _don't_ want to be doing this forever…. I want to retire altogether from Wayne Enterprises and settle down, have a family with a few kids—" He stopped, looking at Zoey suspiciously, "_Why_ do you ask?"

"Pure curiosity," Zoey responded, a smirk on her face.

"What about you?"

"What _about_ me?"

"You don't plan on switching between good and evil until you're ninety, do you?"

Zoey's eyebrows rose, "Excuse me, but I haven't switched in three years. And unless something happens, I don't plan on switching again. But, I don't know if I could ever fully leave this life behind…. Especially living in Gotham…."

"Good, so you'll be the Phoenix granny and I'll be at home worrying my brains out about you."

Zoey laughed, "Oh, so I'll still be living at Wayne Manor, y'think?"

"One can always hope," Bruce smirked, walking over to Zoey and kissing her. He was happy to be able to call Zoey his once more. Zoey returned the kiss, her arms curving around his neck. Bruce trailed kisses down Zoey's neck and she willingly allowed him to do so, her eyes closing from the amazing feeling. He lifted her up and deposited her on the bed. He _did_ owe her, after all. But hearing about Zoey winning back her parent's money reminded him of something….

"Zoey?" He whispered as he continued to suckle and nip her pressure points.

"Hm?"

"Where did your Range Rover come from?"

Zoey chuckled, "_That_ was a gift from Triton. He got me a new car every year. I've had _a lot_ of cars…."

"He got you a Range Rover?"

"For my services," Zoey nodded. "Now," She flipped Bruce over and straddled his abdomen, reminding Bruce forcefully of Catwoman on top of him not that long ago. "Let this be the first indication, that as someone wealthy, I am _not_ going to be greedy."

Zoey captured Bruce's lips with her own, her tongue gliding across his. Bruce couldn't help but groan as he felt himself become hard as Zoey began to move from his lips down his neck. Within seconds his clothes were off and Zoey was grinning devilishly at him as her hands began softly kneading his manhood.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Zoey smirked, knowing how much she was making Bruce squirm on the inside.

Bruce groaned and nodded, his voice entirely lost. His hips thrust into Zoey's hands of their own accord. He felt like he had lost complete control over his body. Zoey was in complete control of him with her delicate ministrations. He felt the pads of her fingers warm slightly and he could feel his end nearing, but he didn't want it to end like that. Hell he was Batman; it was his turn to be in control.

With a final groan, he finally shifted and Zoey was now under him. He rid her of her cargo pants and her wife beater, kissing her all the while. He teased at her through her underwear, finally sliding the underwear down her legs and thrusting two fingers into her. Zoey moaned, her head snapping back as his fingers teased at her clit. Her body felt like it was burning up as he went on teasing her at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Bruce," Her voice sounded strained as she spoke, "Please…."

Bruce smirked, "Begging? So unbecoming, Zoeynyx…."

He kissed her neck and then nipped at one of her breasts, causing her body to arch against his as he continued to tease her heat. He felt her nails claw at his back, and he was _very_ thankful that she didn't have claws like Catwoman. He was driving her crazy, and he knew it. Finally, giving in for both his own sake _and_ hers, he thrust into her with a groan.

Zoey cried out in ecstasy. She hadn't been with Bruce for over two years… She had forgotten what sex with him was like; explosive. As he thrust in and out of her at alternating rhythms, she felt her end coming rapidly. Wailing his name, Zoey's end came in the form of a rolling crash within her body. Her breathing was beyond erratic, and her heart pounded relentlessly. Bruce's breathing told her that he had filled her with his seed as well. He collapsed at her side, and Zoey couldn't help but smile.

"Wow."

"You missed that, huh?"

Bruce's cockiness normally annoyed her, but at the moment, she couldn't say anything against it; he deserved to be cocky with his skills….

"I missed that, but I missed being with you more," Zoey said quietly, her nails going back and forth idly over Bruce's abdomen.

Bruce kissed her forehead sleepily, "I missed you too."

Sleep overtook the both of them, and for the next few days, everything seemed to be going pretty well with their relationship. But Zoey woke up about a week after getting back together with Bruce, sick as a dog, coughing, sneezing, and unable to swallow anything without throwing it right back up. She didn't even need him to tell her to go see a doctor. She went on her own, finding a nearby doctor through the insurance Bruce had convinced her to finally get.

Dr. Selina Kyle came to examine her. She was supposedly one of Gotham's best doctors, and Zoey was lucky enough to get an appointment.

"When was the last time you saw a doctor?" Dr. Kyle inquired as she began to examine Zoey.

"A _long_ time ago," Zoey said after a few minutes. _Like twenty…_

"Have you had your flu, TB, or _any_ of those shots?"

Zoey shook her head, what had been the use of those shots as a demon?

Dr. Kyle's eyebrows disappeared into her blond hair, "Well, I suggest we schedule you for those. People in Gotham tend to get sicker than people elsewhere…."

"One could only imagine why," Zoey coughed. She groaned, "Ugh, doc, what's wrong with me? I've never felt so sick in my life…."

"Well, I need to run a quick to be sure, but I have a hunch…."

A half an hour later, Zoey was even grumpier than usual, Dr. Kyle had one of her nurses take blood from her for a rapid blood test. Zoey despised needles. She felt sicker with every passing moment and desperately wanted to be back in bed. When Dr. Kyle walked back into the room, Zoey thought she'd never felt more thankful.

"Can I go home now, Doc?" Zoey inquired. "I feel like crap…."

Dr. Kyle smiled, "First answer me something…. Are you married?"

Zoey shook her head and snorted, "Nope, do you see a ring on my finger?"

"Then you have a boyfriend."

Zoey nodded, "One who I love very much."

"Well, you and he have something to celebrate," Dr. Kyle said. "You're pregnant."

Zoey's heart thumped, "_What?_ _No_ I can't be…."

"The blood work doesn't lie, Zoey," Dr. Kyle smiled. "Congratulations. Now I want to see you back so we can do your shots…."

Zoey made an appointment to come and get her shot and left the office, her head ringing. She was pregnant! Holy shit, how the hell was she supposed to tell Bruce? They never spoke about having kids _together_. What if he didn't want to be a father? She couldn't tie him down to her! Oh, the headache, oh the stomachache…. As she sat in the driver's seat of her Range Rover she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths; she could do this, she _was_ Phoenix after all…. Praying that he wasn't in a meeting, Zoey sped off to Wayne Enterprises as Bruce had asked her to come when she was done with the doctor. When she got up to his outer office, Bailey gave her a look from her desk.

"Can I help you?" Bailey inquired.

"I need to see Bruce," Zoey said. "He's expecting me."

As she said it, Bruce walked out of his office talking animatedly to Lucius.

"…Come down to Applied Sciences, and we'll get right to work, Mr. Wayne."

Zoey cleared her throat as Bruce and Lucius walked right by her as if she had been a fly on the wall. Bruce looked up at the sound of her voice, his face splitting into a smile.

"There you are!" Bruce said. "How are you feeling?"

"I think death would be preferable right now," Zoey said honestly.

"What'd the doctor say?" Bruce inquired.

Zoey looked around at Bailey and Lucius. She didn't mind Lucius's presence, but Bailey's looks were beginning to get to her. Zoey sighed and shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't tell him like this….

"Nothing," Zoey said and ran back towards the elevator.


	13. Breaking the News

Chapter 13

**AN: Hey guys! Well, yeah, I start school tomorrow, so updates are going to be coming a little slower. Sorry about that. But I hope you enjoy this chapter! PS: Leave me some love, eh??**

Chapter 13

Bruce didn't hesitate for longer than two and a half seconds. In a heartbeat he was bounding after Zoey, stopping her just as she reached the elevator.

"Hey," He said, spinning her around. "What in the world is wrong with you?"

Zoey looked at him, her warm brown and red eyes exuding misery. She couldn't let him find out like this; that wasn't fair to either one of them. The last thing she wanted to see was the look on Bailey's face when she finally did tell him.

"I'm fine," Zoey said at last.

"Bullshit," Bruce said instantly. "What did the doctor say?"

"Can we _please_ not discuss this here?" Zoey inquired. Her eyes found Bruce's and she thought she must've _really_ scared the shit out of him with the expression he was giving her. "Bruce, the doctor said I'm _fine, _I just _really_ don't want to talk about what she _did_ say while you're in the middle of work. Especially with _her_ around."

"You mean Bailey?"

"Who else in your office hates me?" Zoey inquired.

Bruce sighed, looking at his watch, "You want to meet at Starbucks in an hour? We can talk there."

_A public place?_ Zoey thought. _It's better than here…_

"Sure," Zoey voiced finally. "I'll be there."

"For Zoey, I got a venti iced mocha with two extra shots of chocolate, two shots of caffeine and whipped cream," The Starbucks barista blinked as Zoey got her drink. "One of those days?"

"Oh," Zoey sighed. "You have **no** idea."

She got a grande coffee for Bruce and sat outside just as she heard the distinctive Lamborghini engine die down. Bruce joined her at the table a moment later as she began to nibble at the large chocolate muffin she'd bought for them to share.

"Thank you," Bruce said when he saw the coffee.

"No problem," Zoey responded. "Your lunch break?"

Bruce nodded, "It's a little late, but still… How are you?

"I could be better," Zoey responded honestly.

"So, what happened at the doctor's office to make you freak out?"

Zoey looked around them. It was a nice day in Gotham, and the Starbucks patio was full of couples sitting together. Some were holding hands, some were smiling, hell even one or two of them were having a heavy make-out session. She couldn't tell him like this either! She didn't know what her news was going to bring, but if it brought something bad, she sure as hell didn't want to be breaking it out here!

Zoey inhaled slowly, "Don't hate me."

"Let me guess," Bruce's eyes narrowed. "You can't tell me here."

Zoey shook her head, "I'll tell you what. I'll give Alfred the night off, and I'll cook you some of the best food you've ever had."

"You cook?"

Zoey smiled, "Just because I spent seventeen years with a demon, doesn't mean I can't cook."

"I never said you can't cook," Bruce said. "But will it actually be edible?"

In response, Zoey tossed a bit of her muffin at him, "_Yes_ it will be edible, so be hungry."

Bruce's eyebrows rose, "Me and my appetite will be ready."

That evening, Zoey was bustling around the kitchen, humming Seal's Kiss From A Rose, an old favorite song of hers. She heard the cautious footsteps as they walked into the kitchen. She checked on the food she had in the oven, opening it a slit to let some of the aroma seep into the kitchen.

"Out!" Zoey said, turning to face Bruce as she closed the oven.

Bruce smelled the air, the scent of cooking chicken filling his lungs; it smelled amazing. Zoey had apparently been working very hard….

"Sheesh, sorry," Bruce mumbled. "You could've just told me that I wasn't wanted."

"You are wanted," Zoey said, walking over to him, her heels clacking on the marble as she did so. She kissed Bruce on the lips, her own sweet scent mixing in his lungs with the scent of the chicken. "How was the rest of your day?"

"Boring," Bruce responded. "You look beautiful."

Zoey twirled a little, showing off the short black, silver, and gold dress she was wearing. As she twirled, the skirt of the dress spun around her.

"Very nice," Bruce smiled. "When will dinner be ready?"

"Whenever you get out of your work clothes," Zoey responded. "I timed it perfectly with the time that you usually come home."

"You really did," Bruce said. "I'll be back down in a few minutes."

"I'll be in the dining room," Zoey said and she turned back to the oven. She pulled the trays of food out of the steaming oven one by one and transferred their contents onto china serving dishes. Chicken, _baby_ corn, mini pigs in blankets, bar-b-que _baby_ back ribs, and an amazing taco salad made up the meal. She brought everything out to the dining room on a tray and spread them out. She then returned to the kitchen and got two bottles of wine from the wine fridge and she set them on the table just as Bruce walked in, now in jeans and a black t-shirt.

"You're not serious," Bruce grinned as he saw what Zoey had laid out on the table.

Zoey shrugged, "It's not much, but it'll suffice."

"It looks and smells _amazing_," Bruce could feel his mouth watering in anticipation.

Zoey laughed, "Let's just see how it tastes, eh?"

About an hour later, Bruce felt very full. The food had been some of the best that he'd eaten in a long time. He'd actually managed seconds of everything Zoey had fed to him. He _had_ to get her to cook for him more often.

"So," Bruce said, leaning back in his chair lazily. "Is it time for you to tell me yet?"

Zoey's eyes glimmered, "Almost." The anxiety she was feeling in her stomach was killing her already. They'd made it through the entire meal without mentioning her visit to the doctor. Zoey swallowed hard as she stood up from her chair to clean the table.

"Sit," Bruce said, getting to his own feet. "You cooked, I'll clean."

"I'm not a dog, Bruce," Zoey found herself growling. Bruce's eyes widened slightly when he heard her tone, but she forced herself to ignore it. "_I'll_ clean up; it's not that big of a deal. Go upstairs to your balcony; I'll meet you up there in a few minutes with dessert."

"You cooked dessert too?" Bruce inquired.

"When I cook, I go all out," Zoey responded, feeling a little guilty for her snap, but hell, she was under stress at the moment. For all she knew, Bruce wouldn't want to be with her ten minutes from that point.

"Okay…" Bruce was hesitant to leave her, but he could tell that she needed at least a few minutes alone to regain her thoughts.

He went up to the balcony to find that Zoey had played around up there as well. There were two chairs and a small square table. There were a few candles on the table with a matchbook next to them. Bruce lit the candles, filling the air with the scents of lavender and vanilla. He then sat down, waiting for whatever news Zoey had to break to him. Back in the kitchen, Zoey was freaking. She could feel her heart pounding as if it was about to jump out of her chest. As she slid the dishes into the dishwasher, she had to stop for a few moments as she began to feel rather light headed….

_Zoey, stop it!_ She silently yelled at herself. _For god's sake, you're dealing with Bruce Wayne, the guy who left his fiancée to be with you! And hell, if he didn't want to get you pregnant…you two shouldn't have been screwing around without protection…_

"Oh, Jesus Christ," Zoey found herself laughing. "I'm starting to think like a parent… _You did it to yourself…._ Well, actually, _technically_, Bruce did it to me. Okay, right, I _can_ do this…"

She slid the rest of the dishes into the dishwasher and started it up. She then walked to the freezer where her chocolate ice cream pie had been chilling after she'd made it that afternoon.

_Hmm,_ Zoey mused as she pulled her homemade whipped cream out of the fridge. _This gives me an idea…._

A few minutes later, Zoey walked out onto the balcony with the chocolate pie, two plates, and a serving knife.

"This pie's still a little hard," Zoey said as she put it down in front of Bruce. "Can you try cutting it?"

Bruce smiled, "Avoiding the subject again?"

"Not quite," Zoey hummed as Bruce took the knife from her and examined the chocolate pie.

Bruce's eyes widened the longer he looked at what Zoey had placed in front of him. Across the pie, in whipped cream were the words 'I'm Pregnant.'

Bruce looked up at Zoey, his eyes wide and his heart jumping, "You're Pregnant?!"


	14. Passion

Chapter 14

**AN: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me forever to update! Being a senior is INSANE! I have so much work and my family is just insane as well…. But I am going on vacation for most of October, so there will be updates galore! For those who are waiting on my Iron Man fic, I'm planning on rewriting some of it, and hopefully making it better. Look for that update in October! ONWARD!**

Chapter 14

Zoey felt a nervous lump rise in her throat as she slowly nodded. She closed her eyes as she turned away from him, bracing herself….

"Zoey, that's _amazing!_"

"Huh?" Zoey's warm eyes opened as she turned to face Bruce. "You serious?"

"Of course!" Bruce lifted her up in his arms and swung her around, kissing her passionately. Zoey giggled and put her head down on Bruce's chest, sighing in relief. "When did you find out?"

"Today," Zoey felt like wailing and releasing all of her pain onto the man that held her.

"Is that why you were acting so insane today?" Bruce inquired.

"_How_ would you have liked me to be, may I ask?" Zoey inquired, wriggling out of Bruce's arms. "I was kinda freaked, dude."

"Why?" Bruce smiled, trying to coax Zoey to let him hold her once more. "You should've just told me!"

"I'm sorry I'm not as brave as you," Zoey snapped. Her anger had surged suddenly and unexpectedly. She felt hurt and confused on the inside, but she really didn't know where the feelings were coming from.

"Zoey?" Bruce was slightly worried now. His eyebrows rose and his calming eyes were full of concern.

Zoey shook her head, "I'm fine."

"Liar," Bruce hummed.

Zoey glared at him, "Be quiet."

"Oh boy," Bruce was smirking. "Don't tell me your hormones are already out of whack…."

Without even really thinking about it, the next thing Zoey knew, she was pounding on Bruce. She just felt anger, fury, ferocity…. She was downright pissed off. Luckily, before she could do any _real_ damage, Bruce caught both of her wrists and twisted them back. Zoey snarled in pain as Bruce pulled her closer to him.

"What the _fuck_ is the matter with you?" Bruce inquired.

The next thing he knew, Zoey was sobbing as he held her arms tightly. His grip relaxed and he turned Zoey around.

"I'm so sorry," Zoey choked.

"Zoeynyx," Bruce groaned. "_Will you please_ tell me what's wrong with you? I'm worried about you and I want to help you…."

"I'm scared, Bruce," Zoey said at last, turning away from him and wiping her face with a napkin. "I'm _really_ scared. I'm not exactly what anyone would call normal; not with the demonic serum crap circulating in my blood system. I don't want my baby to grow up like I did…."

Bruce inhaled and exhaled in silence for a few moments, thinking.

"Lucius Fox," He said at last.

"What about him?" Zoey inquired, hiccupping as she blew her nose.

"He was making you an antidote when you first came back, remember?"

"But that was before, when I actually wanted to get rid of my powers…."

Bruce looked at her seriously, "Z, it may be the only way to be certain that your powers don't affect the baby in any way."

"So I'll be left defenseless afterwards?" Zoey inquired. "How is that fair to me? You get to go on fighting, _while you're a father_, and I have to sit at home worrying about you day in and day out?"

"It isn't," Bruce admitted. "But what would you rather at this point?"

A week later, Zoey was avoiding Bruce, Bruce was avoiding Zoey, both of them were avoiding the fact that things were changing between them. Zoey had become more nervous and jumpy, as well as more likely to lash out at people for little things, while Bruce was becoming more and more closed off and serious, spending more hours by himself during the day and drifting off during meetings….

"Mr. Wayne," Lucius Fox said as they both left one of the board rooms after a particularly long meeting.

Bruce turned to the elder man, a sullen look on his face.

"The antidote you requested me to make is ready."

"Tell Zoey, not me."

Lucius Fox gave him a perplexed look, "You and Ms. Smith are not talking?"

"We are," Bruce responded simply. "Just not as much as we used to."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"She freaked out basically," Bruce said just as simply. "She doesn't want to give up her powers, nor does she want me to continue fighting as Batman if she can't fight as Phoenix."

"That's only fair, Mr. Wayne," Fox responded. "You're going to be a father, and it's not only she that you'll be watching over, it will be your baby as well."

"I didn't mean for all of this to happen this way," Bruce said. "I _wanted_ to eventually start a family with Zoey, but _not_ this way. I wanted us to get _married_ first; I wanted us to leave all the fighting behind us, and then Zoey wouldn't _need_ her powers anymore…."

"But this is the hand that was dealt to you, Mr. Wayne," Lucius reasoned. "And I suggest you take it like a man."

And with that, Lucius left Bruce to his thoughts. Bruce inhaled slowly, reaching for his Blackberry as he walked back to his office. He dialed Zoey's number and just as he had anticipated, she didn't answer.

"C'mon, Z," Bruce whispered to himself, realizing that the only way Zoey would come down to Wayne Enterprises at that moment was if he brought her himself. "Don't make this so difficult."

He wove his Lamborghini Mercielago through the mid-afternoon traffic and parked it outside Flame. Zoey was just walking out as he pulled up. She took one look at him and leaned against the doorjamb.

"What?" Zoey inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You ignored my phone calls, and I needed to talk to you somehow," Bruce responded.

Bruce noticed in the way that Zoey was standing that she was beginning to feel slightly self-conscious, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Don't _even_," Zoey growled.

Bruce chuckled, "You're glowing, what would you like me to do?"

"I'd like you to take your sperm back from my egg," Zoey responded.

Bruce couldn't help but bursting out in laughter, "It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

Zoey merely groaned and walked back into the club, Bruce took it as a sign that he should follow her. Once inside the club, Zoey sat on one of the bar stools and waited for Bruce to talk.

"Lucius finished the antidote," Bruce jumped right in.

"I don't want it."

Bruce looked into Zoey's eyes. He saw pain reflecting back at him from the depths of her red and brown eyes.

"I know you don't," Bruce responded gently, walking closer to her. "But that's why I've come to make a deal with you, like a real man."

Zoey said nothing, but turned her head from him.

"If you give up your powers, I'll give up Batman."

Zoey looked at him as if he were crazy, "Are you insane, Bruce?!"

"I'm insane about you, Zoey," Bruce responded. "I'm insane about both you and our baby. I just want both of you to be well, and I'm willing to do anything to ensure that will insure both of your safeties."

Zoey looked at Bruce debatingly, "You would _seriously_ give up your entire Batman persona just to make me give up my powers?"

Bruce nodded, "If that what it's going to take."

Zoey didn't say anything else. She got off the stool and kissed him. She kissed him passionately and deeply, their tongues beginning to duel endlessly. She felt his arms go around her back and hers went around his neck. She wanted him, she needed him, and she felt he needed her as well….

Bruce pushed Zoey against the bar, his body aching against hers. Zoey moaned slightly into the kiss, their bodies rocking together slightly. Oh, how she wanted him…. She _needed_ him….


	15. Burning Freeze

Chapter 15

Bruce and Zoey slid simultaniously down along one of the walls of the club. How they had moved from the bar to there, Zoey was not quite sure of, but they had managed to do it without breaking their kiss for longer than a few seconds. Now, with her back pressing against the wall, her internal warning bells were ringing full blast in her ears.

"Bruce," Zoey gasped, breaking their kiss for a few seconds. He was over her, one hand on her waist, the other supporting himself. "We _can't_ do this here."

"Give me one good reason," Bruce's voice was deep as he moved to kiss and nip Zoey's neck. Zoey giggled in spite of herself.

"It's my club."

"So?"

"Brianna's supposed to be here soon."

"Like I give a damn," Bruce chuckled against her neck. "We can give her a show."

Zoey wanted so badly to laugh at Bruce's newfound kinkyness, but she was trying to keep a straight head.

"I _also_ happen to be pregnant."

Bruce smirked, and looked Zoey in the eyes for a few seconds, "Good, so we don't have to worry about that happening from us fooling around now."

That broke Zoey's seriousness, "Bruce, we _shouldn't_!" She declared, though she was outright laughing at that point.

"You still have yet to give me a good reason," Bruce whispered as he nipped at her neck.

Zoey sighed, why was she fighting her temptations, now of all times? She was saved the trouble of asking by the ringing of her Blackberry. Bruce growled possesively and nearly grabbed the phone away from Zoey.

"Stop that," She growled. "It's _your_ office."

"How can you tell?" Bruce inquired. "You haven't even looked at it."

"The ringtone," Zoey responded simply as she pulled her phone away from him and answered it. "Hello?"

"You'll be sorry," Bruce hummed, returning to his place at her neck.

Zoey'seyes rolled slightly as she tried once more to keep her focus, but it was hard when dealing with someone with as much experience as Bruce.

"Hello, Zoey."

"Oh, hi, Mr. **FOX**," Zoey's voice rose an octave as Bruce nipped her rather hard. "Stop it," She growled at him. Bruce merely tilted his head and smirked at her.

As if Lucius could see what was going on, he chuckled, "I take it Mr. Wayne has told you that the antidote is ready?"

"Yes he mentioned it to **ME**!" Zoey worked in vain to keep her tone nuetral as Bruce's hand moved up her waist and his thumb ran across her breasts, sending a chill through her body. She shot him a death look, but it did not bother him in the slightest.

'Get off the phone,' Bruce mouthed in warning.

Zoey glared at him and shook her head.

"Well, it's ready for whenever you're ready to take it," Lucius said kindly. "Just tell me when."

"Tomorrow morning?" Zoey inquired, her chills multiplying as Bruce's hand moved south along her body.

"Fine with me, Zoey," Lucius said. "I look forward to seeing you."

"You too," Zoey said and hung up her phone just as a low moan escaped her lips. Bruce hadn't been lying when he said she'd be sorry. Taking advantage of the distraction of her phone call, he'd begun to trail kisses along her body and had paused above the waistband of her jeans just as she hung up her phone.

"I _hate_ you," Zoey groaned as Bruce came back up to face level with her and kissed her.

"And in about three minutes, you'll be screaming my name," Bruce promised her.

Zoey's entire body hurt. She knew it must be the wee hours of the morning as light was only just starting to filter through the curtains of the loft above Flame. After she and Bruce had made love of the floor of her loft, (against her better judgement), they'd moved upstairs where there was no risk of them being caught or disturbed. She opened her eyes a slit, hearing Bruce's deep even breathing from beside her. She was dreading the day; she was going to be powerless in a few hours...

_It's for the best,_ Zoey told herself silently. _I remember when I used to pray for the day to come when I wasn't going to have these powers anymore..._

Zoey got to her feet silently and walked to the bathroom. She stepped into the shower and let the water run down her back for a few moments. It went from cold to warm to hot and back to warm until it was finally at the right temperature. It felt soothing against her aching body, calming, reassuring...

It wasn't until she stepped out of the shower that a wave of nausea hit her. The entire bathroom tilted around her and without her realizing it until she felt a jolt of pain moments later, she hit the floor, but not before smacking her head against the sink. She let out a cry of pain, and instantly, or so it seemed, Bruce was by her side.

"What in the _world_ did you just do to yourself?" Bruce inquired, securing her towel around her and lifting her up easily.

"I just had my first run in with morning sickness," Zoey moaned. "Almost literally, I think."

Zoey groaned and rubbed her now throbbing head, "Sonofabitch, leave it to me to be able to deal with demons and ninjas, but not morning sickness..."

Bruce chuckled and kissed Zoey's forehead right where it was aching, "Are you sure you want to go down to Wayne Enterprises today?"

"No," Zoey said. "But if I don't today, then I never will."

Within a few hours, Bruce and Zoey were both walking through the Applied Sciences subbasement of Wayne Enterprises. Leading them was Lucius Fox, who kept shooting Bruce sidelong glances. Zoey looked rather pale, and it seemed as if Lucius himself were having second thoughts about taking Zoey's powers away.

"So," Lucius said at last when they halted in front of his old desk. "These," He held up three tubes, each one filled with a different colored liquid; one was bright pink, one was a transparent purple, and the other final was a bright glowing blue. "Are the components of the antidote."

"Three of them?" Bruce inquired, his arm around Zoey's waist.

"It's very strong, Mr. Wayne," Lucius required. "However, the pink and the purple won't be as powerful as the blue one."

"Meaning they won't hurt as much," Zoey translated.

Lucius inclined his head, but did not deny it, "Are you feeling alright?"

Zoey inhaled deeply, "I'm fine, it's just this goddamn morning sickness... I fell in my bathroom this morning and hit my head against my sink. I'm still a little light headed from it."

"Ah," Lucius said. "Well, are you ready, Zoey?"

"No," Zoey said honestly. "I don't think I'll ever be ready, but let's just get it over with."

Lucius nodded curtly and motioned for Zoey to sit down. He then filled a rather large needle with the pink antidote. After cleaning Zoey's arm with alcohol, he injected the entire thing deep into her blood stream. It stung and burned annoyingly, but otherwise it didn't bother her much.

"You okay?" Bruce whispered in her ear.

Zoey clenched her jaw tightly as Lucius filled another needle with the purple antidote. She forced herself to nod and Bruce kissed her cheek. The purple antidote hurt more than the pink one did, but Zoey forced her eyes closed and tried as much as possible to breathe through the pain.

'There is no way in hell I'd be going through this if it weren't for my concern about my unborn child and my love for Bruce,' Zoey found herself thinking as tears stung at the back of her eyes. She could hear the blue liquid filling one last needle and she forced herself to inhale shakily. As soon as the third needle pierced her skin and the final component of the antidote hit her bloodstream, her entire body erupted in pain. She felt like something was freezing her body from the inside out. All her fire, all her power...

"It's done," Lucius Fox said, though his voice sounded as if it were a million miles away.

Zoey opened her eyes, tears pouring down. She was no longer different; she was a normal human.


	16. Question

Chapter 16

The world around Zoey tilted slightly, but straightened out within seconds. She shook her head slightly, not wanting to believe the reality. She was normal, or as close to normal as she could be at the very least. Why had she just done that to herself?

"Zoey?" Bruce's voice sounded distant, as if she was hearing it from half a mile away. His touch on her shoulder stung for an instant and she pulled away from him.

"Are you alright, Zoey?" Lucius inquired.

Zoey nodded. She turned to Bruce slowly, "Can you take me home?"

Bruce nodded and helped Zoey to her feet. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice, the red zigzags in her eyes were gone, but they were replaced with bright blue ones. Feeling that Zoey couldn't handle worrying about that at that point, he made a mental note to tell her later that day. But, when they got back to Wayne Manor, she vanished into one wing of the house and didn't resurface for hours.

"Penny for your thoughts, sir?" Alfred asked kindly as he brought his longtime master and friend a cup of coffee a few hours after they returned.

"Have you seen Zoey?" Bruce inquired.

"She went up the stairs some time ago," Alfred responded. "Hasn't she come down?"

Bruce shook his head as he accepted the cup of coffee, "I'm worried about her."

"Her who?" Zoey inquired as she walked into the room. In her arms was a box, full of stuff and who knows what. Alfred inclined his head slightly and excused himself.

"Her you," Bruce responded, a smile appearing on his face. "Where have you been hiding?"

"In my old room," Zoey responded. "I left it such a mess that I finally decided to look through my old stuff. And I'm happy I did, look at what I found."

She plopped the box on the desk in front of Bruce and went around the desk to sit on his lap. Ince his arm was around her back, supporting her, Zoey dug into the box, pulling out pictures, cards, and random pieces of paper, or so Bruce thought they were random pieces of paper until he recognized his handwriting on them. Every single thing in that box he had given her, and the pictures were of them together. It brought a smile to Bruce's face.

"You know, I'm proud of you," Bruce whispered, resting his head on her arm which had not been poked three times by a needle.

"Wasn't my choice," Zoey said honestly. "Have you seen my eyes?"

"Just as beautiful as always," Bruce smiled, sweeping a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"I'm running out of excuses," Zoey smiled.

"Contacts?" Bruce suggested. "By the way, you kept up your end of the deal, now it's my turn."

"What are you talking about?" Zoey tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"You gave up your powers, so I'm obligated to give up Batman."

Zoey shook her head, "I never agreed to that."

"You didn't have to," Bruce said honestly.

"Bruce, NO," Zoey growled. "Gotham needs at least one defender. Harvey Dent is gone, and Gordon doesn't have your abilities! You'll be throwing Gotham to the corrupt criminals! That's not the kind of life I want our child to have!"

"It's really not up to you," Bruce said.

"And it's up to you?" Zoey inquired. "Bruce, you giving up Batman doesn't just affect you! It effects all of Gotham!"

The next moment Zoey let out a cry of pain. The muscles in her stomach had all clenched up together into a knot of sorts. Her hand flew to her stomach and Bruce's hand slid along her back.

"What happened?" Bruce inquired, his tone sincere and caring.

"Cramp," Zoey moaned. "Bruce, I know I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, but please, don't do this only because of me."

"I'm not doing it because of you, Zoey," Bruce said, kissing her cheek. "I'm doing it for you, and for our unborn child."

The months began to pass by rapidly. Zoey's body transformed entirely, much to her displeasure, but Bruce honestly liked the changes. She always seemed to be glowing brightly. Five months had passed since Bruce's last battle as Batman, and Gotham wasn't in terrible shape, but it needed help badly. Bruce watched over Zoey like a hawk when they were in public, and he went to all her doctors with her. The ultrasounds of their child brought him the greatest pride; but what brought even more joy was finding out they were having a boy.

"He'll be just like his dad, for sure," Zoey winked at her beau as Dr. Selena Kyle performed the ultrasound. Bruce kissed Zoey's knuckles and grinned. She had pet his ego very nicely indeed...

After leaving the Dr. Kyle's office, Bruce brought Zoey back to Wayne Manor. She barely slept those days as her entire body ached and it was hard for her to find a comfortable position during the night. The moment they returned home, Zoey found refuge in the backyard on a broad hammock. She dozed off as the hammock swung gently, but she soon became aware that she was not alone.

"Bruce?" Zoey's voice came out more like a groan than anything normal.

"How'd you know I was here?" Bruce inquired.

Zoey opened her eyes slowly and saw Bruce about fifteen feet away, observing the huge backyard, "I felt you."

Bruce smiled, "How are you, Mi amor?"

Zoey giggled, for Bruce spoke with a perfect spanish accent, "I wish I could see my feet again."

Bruce snorted and kissed Zoey's forehead, "Soon enough. Can I join you?"

Zoey nodded and shifted slightly so Bruce could lie beside her. He put his arm around her and kissed her knuckles once more, "It's so nice out today."

Zoey smiled, "So peaceful."

"Zoey?"

"Hm?" Zoey had closed her eyes as she snuggled closer to Bruce.

"I love you so much," Bruce whispered.

"I love you too," Zoey responded.

"In a way, you have no idea what you saved me from by coming back," Bruce said, caressing the side of her face.

"I saved you from marriage," Zoey snorted, rolling her eyes. She ran her fingers through Bruce's brown hair, "Marriage isn't such a bad thing."

"I'm glad you think that way," Bruce smiled. "Zoey, will you marry me?"

Zoey sat up so quickly that she would have fallen off the hammock had Bruce not been there to steady her. Her heart thumped painfully, was he serious?

Before Zoey could speak again, Bruce smiled, "Yes, I'm entirely serious Zoey. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you."

Zoey inhaled slowly and deeply, "Bruce..." 


End file.
